CURIOSITY
by halinar
Summary: !!!!!FINALLY FINISHED!!!! Jesse was meant to tell everyone something but now it's too late and he may never wake up to finally tell them
1. The Hits

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CURIOSITY

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Community General Hospital: 1:03am

It was six thirty in the morning. Even at this time, the hospital was strangely silent. The Doctors were milling around and most victims from the Knightsbridge Hotel fire had been saved. There were some losses, some which could not be helped but most were okay. It had been a strenuous night for all Doctors. For Jesse Travis, it had almost proved to be too much. He was lying down on one of the hospital waiting room couches, curled up with his eyes closed sleeping peacefully. Occasionally he would open his eyes and through blurry vision see doctors and nurses walking past him. The receptionist remained where she was and every so often Norman would walk by, looking a little lost and then wandering off somewhere else.

Jesse closed his eyes every time and then drifted off into another five-minute nap. His shift ended over an hour ago but he knew he was in no shape to drive. As a doctor he knew that. He would most likely land himself in a hospital bed. He remained sleeping on the sofa so that hopefully when he woke up, he would be more alert to drive himself back. Jesse had done a double shift that night. He personally believed he'd done well and deserved the rest.

Eventually, he felt someone shaking his shoulder gently and calling his name. Jesse opened his eyes and looked into a pair of eyes. He groaned and tried to blink away the tiredness. "Don't go back to sleep, Jesse, you'll drive all the patients away," the voice joked.

"Very funny, Amanda," Jesse muttered and tried to sit up. His head felt heavy on his left where he had been lying and he almost toppled over. He managed to keep his balance and rubbed his hands across his tired face. "Man, I swear, if I stay awake for any longer than ten minutes I'll case an accident by crashing out."

"How about I take you home?" Dr Mark Sloan suggested. Jesse hadn't even noticed he was there. He had only been looking at Amanda, but he did know that he was so completely out of it that it did not surprise him. "I don't think you'd be able to last another few seconds on your feet even if you tried. Besides, I have to take Steve as well and my shift finishes in about five minutes." He yawned involuntarily as well.

"It seems that everyone is the walking dead round here," Amanda commented. Both Doctors gave her a dirty looked as she smiled and walked off in the direction to finish what remained of the half burnt corpses that didn't make it from the fire.

Jesse nodded. "All right, Mark. I'll take you up on that offer." Mark nodded, saying he'd be back in a few minutes after clearing up. By the time Mark arrived back, Jesse was asleep again, his head against the wall, looking up towards the ceiling. To Mark Sloan, he looked like a small boy who had been asked to do too much on his first try-out. He was close enough. Jesse was the youngest out of them all and even though he was a reliable and trusted intern, there were times when he couldn't keep up with the big boys.

Mark had to admit sometimes that he wasn't able to do it either but these were rare occasions. A fire as big as this one was a rare occasion so Mark did not blame him.

Steve Sloan walked up to him. "Busy night died down then?" he asked his dad and he nodded. "Good. Ready to go back home because I'm beat as well." He spied his father looking at the fallen Jesse Travis and automatically smiled. "I suppose we're taking him back as well?"

"Well, we can't leave him here for Amanda or Norman to deal with," Mark said, smiling as he walked over to Jesse. Together, they got Jesse awake and made him over to the car. He fell asleep in the backseat as well. No matter how hard he tried, sleep just took him over. Mark and Steve managed to get him into his apartment with difficulty and left Jesse to deal with himself. The young intern fell asleep on his bed without even changing. He didn't hear either Steve or Mark leave.

Neither did he hear someone else enter his apartment around half an hour later. A bomb could have dropped on his block and he still would have been able to sleep through it. Steve and Mark never saw anyone either as they walked back down to their car. "Poor, Jesse," Steve said, "he's had a bit of a rough night, hasn't he?"

Mark nodded. "Yes, I suppose you could say that but personally, I don't blame him for crashing out like that. I'm surprised Amanda hasn't been so tired lately. I thought she would have been extremely tired after doing two night shifts in a row like that." He shook his head, marveling at how some of the doctors were able to do it. He stretched whilst his son drove. "It must be my old age, Steve, I think I'm getting old and unable to keep up with you lot."

Steve laughed immediately. "Old age and unfit? I doubt it. Not with your diet and constant exercises. If anything, it's Amanda's high coffee doses and those pills. I've seen them in her cupboards." He drove into the garage of the beach house and both men got out lazily, ready for the night's sleep. Back to the Community Hospital, Amanda was just packing up and ready to go and Jesse was still on his bed, dead to the world. He heard none of the cars, nor the dog that howled beside the rubbish bins.

He didn't even hear someone enter his apartment around half an hour after Steve and Mark left. Someone expertly picked the lock and entered his apartment, looking around. The black clad figure quietly closed the door, making no sound at all. He walked through the rooms before seeing Jesse on top of the covers of his bed. He smiled beneath his mask and began to move forward. His friends outside were ready as well. It wouldn't have taken a minute.

Slowly, he made his way towards Jesse Travis, taking cautious steps not to wake the sleeping figure. If only he knew how dead he actually was. As soon as he got close enough as he dared, he turned Jesse over and put a hand across his mouth in one swift movement. It was enough to wake Jesse up and notice that something was wrong. He tried to cry out but found that he couldn't.

He smelt the leather that came from the glove he was wearing. In desperation, he kicked out and tried to cry but nothing came out but a bunch of muffled cries. Jesse began to realize that his situation was slowly becoming serious. Someone really meant business and in a flash Jesse soon figured out who he was. Panic gripped his heart and he started to breathe faster in fear. In absolute fear, he started to struggle more. He knocked a lamp over in the process.

Suddenly, the hand came away from his mouth. Instead, it was replaced by some sort of cloth. A strong smell came from it, which Jesse tried to keep back. He tried to hold his breath and push the cloth away from him but he couldn't hold it forever. Eventually, he had to take a breath, not matter how small. With his own tiredness and the strength of the chloroform, Jesse soon fell into unconsciousness.

The intruder kept the cloth there for a few minutes for careful measure. As soon as he was satisfied that his victim was totally out of it. He got off the bed and turned Jesse over. He ordered his friends to come in and together, they got Jesse out of the apartment and into a car that was waiting downstairs. The whole kidnap had been perfectly set up and everything had been prepared carefully beforehand. Jesse was driven away in the back of a van without anyone knowing. 

* * * * *

Day sat at the bar thinking for a few moments. That was his name—Day. At first, it had always been Daryl. Everyone in school up to Eighth Grade called him Daryl and then suddenly, some right freshmen without his glasses called him Day and from then on, the name kind of stuck. Day didn't mind. It was more interesting than your average name. He certainly thought the name was more interesting than Daryl. Now everyone knew him as Day even in formal things like court and newspaper. He was known as Day Passer. Not Daryl—Day. He now usually made a habit in making sure people called him Day.

He was having his last drink at the bar. After several drinks, which he usually had, he would return back to his safe house. It was something he had to do these days to keep his nerves down otherwise he knew he'd get into a panic. Anyone could be one of them…and the only thing that allowed Day to lighten up a bit was that alcoholic drink at night.

Tonight, though, he had spent a lot longer at the bar than he intended to. With the few alluring girls and one drink too many, they just kept on coming and eventually, he thought he would pass out. But strangely enough, Day always had an ability to fight off the unconsciousness that usually swept people after a few alcohol bottles. But eventually, Day managed to drag himself away from the bar, say goodnight to some of the girls and then left the tip on the table. He left and staggered out onto the road.

After a while, he got into his car and drove slowly back to the apartment. Day purposely went slowly. He was already close to losing his life as it is. He didn't want a car crash to end his life when he spent so long hiding away from a gun. But then again, if he did crash, then maybe it would save him from running, always using a different name…always being cautious to who you talk to…check your back…check your phone line…The list went on and on. It was like you were never free.

Day hated it.

Finally though, he made it to the apartment Drunkenly, he made his way up the stairs. When he finally reached the door, he leaned against the banister and stopped. The door was open…He looked around carefully, wondering whether there was anyone around ready to pounce on him at any moment. When he was positive there wasn't, he turned back towards the door again. It was wide open and no sound was coming from inside it. Jesse never left his door open. He was always careful not to.

And even if he were back late, he would make sure he closed it. If there was one thing he learned about Jesse was that he was a very cautious person and he had to be lately. Day always guessed that it was because of his job as an intern at the hospital.

Silently, Day opened the door and flipped the lights on, hoping to startle anyone inside. But there didn't appear to be anyone there. Day checked the rooms. In the living room, a few plants had been knocked over. Everything else was all right apart from the bedroom, which Jesse slept in. It was a total mess. The covers had been totally tossed about and the lamp on the bedside table had fallen and smashed. There was a strange smell in the room. With Day's strong dose of alcohol, he almost threw up.

But all the tiredness had been taken away from him. He wondered where Jesse was and he had a bad feeling about this. He had a bad feeling about practically everything these days. But Day knew this time that they had got to Jesse. A chill shuddered down his spine as he thought about what they could do to Jesse if they had him, which almost certainly they did.

In panic, Day reached for the phone with his fingers shaking. He didn't care if anyone had tapped into he phone line. He bashed the keys to get the number and he waited. "Come on, Anders, pick up the bloody phone," he hissed to himself. "Come on!" he shouted as the sixth ring came on.

"Anders!" he practically screamed down the phone.

There was a silence. "Day, is that you?" he said when it was pretty obvious that it was. Anders got angry. "I told you not to call me in case it was an emergency. Are you calling from Jesse's house?"

"Yes."

"Damnit, Day, I told you not to call from his house. It could lead both of you into danger. Do you not pay attention to anything I say."

Day could feel himself begin to get angry. "This _is _an emergency, Anders, and it could mean both of our safety. Someone broke into Jesse's apartment. His room is trashed and there's this strong smell in the room."

"Well, maybe someone raided his apartment," Anders suggested.

"No!" Day cried. "It's worse than that. Jesse would have come back home by now, I know it. He doesn't work past one in the morning so he would have been here. They've got him, Anders, I know it. Oh God, they're gonna hurt him, Anders, they're gonna hurt him bad."

"Now, Day, what's important is _your _safety…"

"And what about Jesse's!" Day screamed down the phone. "You got him mixed up in this without a choice. Now he's in trouble and he doesn't matter."

Day heard an impatient click from Anders down the phone. "No, that's not what I'm saying, Day. What are the chances that Jesse's got? Remember the other three? We wouldn't have time to find Jesse before something happened. The best thing to do is to get you out of there. I'm going to send someone over to pick you up right now."

"Okay but make it…" Day cut off when he heard the sound of a hammer not far away from him—right beside his bed. He held the phone tightly and turned round, staring at the barrel of the gun. Up close, it seemed massive. That bullet, he thought, must be massive inside his head.

"Day!" Anders shouted, but Day didn't say anything. He looked at the man in the mask in front of him. "Day, talk to me, God Damnit!" Still, Day didn't say anything but kept on staring.

Day had forgotten about Anders. He couldn't see the man behind the black mask holding the gun at him but he could almost imagine the expression. Fear overpowered his heart but there were something's he had to know first. "Where's Jesse?" he demanded quietly.

"In a place of happiness," the man said.

"You mother—"

The man held the gun up better. "Don't even try it, Passer. I've got you right in my sights. I could shoot you right now but that would suck the fun out of it. You want to know what I've done to your little friend? Yes, we got him and yes, we got the answers out of him. It took some time and some roughing up but we got there. He said you'd be back later tonight to the apartment."

Day could feel himself feeling faint. He didn't blame Jesse. Who knows what kind of torture they subjected him to but he still felt sick? "You can let him go now."

The sides of the ski mask rose up as if he was smiling but smiling evilly. "I'm afraid it's a little too late for that. You see, the damage has already been done. We had to do it all tonight otherwise we wouldn't get paid so the hard part had to be done tonight. A seven-day torture was done in less than a few hours. As you can imagine, it wouldn't have been really pretty…"

Day wanted to jump. He could still hear Anders screaming at him down the phone but his mind was screaming at the moment. In his mind he was screaming words at the man that even a grown person wouldn't want to hear. Day wanted to lunge at the man and tear his throat out for what he'd done for Jesse. He would rather die now. He couldn't stand it anymore. He had waited too long for him to get caught so he could sit at that trial and live a life of living low. It was no way to live. "I hope you rot in hell," he whispered.

"You'll go there first, though," the man said and pulled the trigger. 

Day didn't remember feeling a thing. In fact, it was all over in a few seconds. Less than a few seconds even that he couldn't even think about it. The only last thoughts he had were 'thank you Jesse' in a hope that he was still alive somewhere.


	2. The Discovery

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CURIOSITY PART II

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Community General Hospital: 8.38am

Dr Mark Sloan was amazed he had managed the night. After all that work and the late night, he was amazed he could still get up on time the next morning and still feel right as rain to get into the work and not worry about handling a patient wrong. That was the one thing he always feared—having to come in after a tiring night and do something wrong with a patient. As a dedicated doctor it was his worst fear. It may not be for several others. Steve could mention a few, as he walked into the hospital the next morning that shouldn't even be here. The coffee contain was rapidly falling and people were rubbing their eyes non-stop.

Amanda caught up with Mark during the day. She had just finished one autopsy and was coming out, throwing a pair of gloves into a bin and catching up with him. "Mark!" she called and the doctor turned round. "Have you seen Jesse at all today?"

Mark thought for a second. "No, I don't think I have."

Amanda put her hands on her hips in deep thought. "Neither have I, you know. I don't think he came into work today."

Mark smiled. "Now that would not surprise me. You know, after that pass out be was giving us yesterday, it would not surprise me if he was still in bed."

Amanda rolled his eyes. "Some intern," she said playfully.

"Well, Amanda, we all have our limits," Mark said and then realized she was joking. He smiled for a split second and walked away to tend to someone else before Amanda could say anything else. Quickly, he slipped into another room to tend to a patient that really didn't need tending at all. 

Amanda waited with hands on her hips again and thought. She seemed to be good at that at the moment. She turned back round. Amanda was annoyed because she was supposed to go to this meeting with Jesse afterwards. Jesse had pleaded and pleaded with her to make someone like Mark go with her instead, but with Jesse's easy going innocence and Amanda's stern mother-like attitude, he lost the battle. Amanda thought it would be a good way for him to know more. Now Amanda thought that he was just trying to get out of it and using his tiredness as an excuse.

As she walked back to the pathology labs, she spied Dr Taylor walking toward her. Amanda grabbed her arm. "Pete, you haven't seen Jesse round anywhere, have you?"

Pete laughed. "If I were him, I'd be hiding too. You look as though you're about to murder someone. If you're hunting him for that meeting though, I would have committed suicide."

Amanda gave him a sidelong glance. "Very funny, Pete, Do you know where he is or not?"

Pete spread his arms and walked backwards. "Sorry, I ain't seen him in today. Last I saw him he was crashing out on the couch." He walked backwards again and crashed into the janitor lady.

Brushes, brooms and dirt fell all over the place. Pete quickly picked himself up before anyone could notice and walked away, watching the faces smiling into his back, including Amanda, who could not helping concealing one of her smug grins. But it soon faded as she turned back round and headed back once again. She was still not any closer to finding Jesse.

Back in the labs, she picked up the phone and dialed his number.

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Witness Protection Program Center—8.55am

"Oh, shit," Anders said finally and sank into the chair, his head in his hands. He shook his head from side to side, not sure whether to cry at his own fault and shout in anger at someone else's. He knew a lot of the whole mess was his fault, though. Because all this wasted time, Day was now dead, possibly Jesse too and Marcus was still out there, roaming free. He would never stand trial for that mass murder and Day would never stand to be a witness. Jesse would never…well, whatever Jesse wanted to do, he could never do again.

"Oh shit?" someone shouted down the phone on the hands free button. "I would think we're seriously in it!" Anders cringed at the sound of his boss's voice. He was far from happy. He was very near to eruption. "This case has been going on for nine months! Washington and the FBI have this on their list. Marcus Lavoy is a very wanted man and now we can't pin the guy because the guy who was _meant _to pin him has already been _pinned _himself!" An exasperated sigh sounded from down the phone. "What happened?"

Anders shook his head, still trying to get it in. He was the one who had spent nine months caring for Day like a lost puppy, making sure he was all right. Now to lose him so suddenly—it came as a shock. "I don't know sir. He rang me, I don't know when, really late at around one o'clock. He was scared and I asked him why he was calling me and why from Jesse's phone. He said Jesse had been kidnapped—and—and something bad was going to happen to him. He paused…then he didn't say anything. I could hear voices at the other end but I couldn't hear much of what was being said then they stopped. I just thought he had run out."

Anders lifted his head from his hands. "Then you ring me up this morning and tell me he's _dead. _I…I just can't believe it."

"Well, start pinching yourself Anders, 'cause it's true. I've had my men dispose of the body somewhere. I know it sounds awfully cruel, Anders, but with the FBI on the case, it's the best thing. They don't like to get involved, if you know what I mean. It's just best to think that we weren't part of this. Leave it to the LAPD or something to sort it out okay?"

"Okay, sir."

"Good. If anyone asks you any questions, answer only if necessary. I don't want some brain doubled cop coming to me and harassing me. If they want to talk, they can talk to the FBI, I'm tied up as it is."

Anders nodded, not even looking at the phone. He was like a zombie in his own world. No one would penetrate through his bubble of disbelief. He was still absorbing the shock that Day Passer had really gone away. In the nine months that they had been working together, he had become attached to the guy. No physically attached or anything, but they got along well. Day couldn't have been much older than Jesse, with a degree in law and ready to take on the cases. Then he got mixed up in all this and his life fell apart. But then again, if it hadn't, Anders wouldn't have had the most interesting time of his life.

"What about Jesse Travis, sir?"

Anders could almost imagine his boss shrugging. "What about him?"

"Well, sir, we have to do something about him. Day won't be missed by—by many people but Jesse Travis will. He works in a hospital; he has people there who work with him every day. How are they going to take to his disappearance."

His boss sighed down the end of the phone. "Okay, I suppose they will be. You know, Anders, the chances that he is alive are pretty slim, you know that, right? If they do find him, there probably won't be much left. I'll send someone out to search in the usual places and maybe a few snitches will pick up on something but it isn't our line of work."

"I know, sir, I know. I just thought—losing one, don't want to lose the other."

His boss gave a small humming sound. "Bye, Anders."

He hung up and Anders terminated the call at his end. He buried his face in his arms on the desk whilst forcing the tears not to come out.

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Community General Hospital—1.13pm

Time passed rather quickly when you worked, Mark Sloan seemed to notice. He didn't realize it was already past midday and he hadn't even had his lunch. He stepped outside for a few minutes once finding a sandwich in the canteen. It was so hot in there and he had picked the worst time to go and have a lunch. Half of the good healthy things had gone and he was left with the remains of the sandwiches and had managed to swipe a good-looking apple along the way. He now sat outside, eating it.

Amanda had been searching for Mark during all of this. The last thing she could think of was going outside and she was rather surprised to see him sitting there. "I didn't know you liked to eat in the open air."

"I don't," Mark replied. "Especially not with an overpowering push." He wriggled away from it to get more comfortable. "Have you tried eating in that diner when every other intern is taking up the space." He shook his head, half with disgust.

"Well, interns are something I want to talk to you about," Amanda remarked. "Because _one _intern failed to show up today. I've called his house too many times to count and no one is answering. Operator can't get through to him either and he's definitely not in the hospital. I've asked everyone."

Mark laughed even though he couldn't help it. "This isn't exactly the biggest mystery in the world, Amanda. I'm sure he's somewhere, dead to the world in a dreamless sleep like last night. Do you really blame him? He looks as though he could sleep for America last night." Amanda couldn't help but laughing.

"Besides, I don't think he wanted to go the meeting anyway."

Amanda sat on the wall beside him with the overpowering push behind her, prodding through her autopsy suit. "I know and thank you for telling me what I think _everyone _has today. Okay, so he didn't want to go the stupid meeting but at least he could pick up the phone!"

Mark laughed and sat down the remains of the sandwich. Suddenly he didn't feel very hungry. "How about you go down the apartment and see where he is. You have over an hour to kill before lunch break ends."

Amanda stood up. "I might just do that as well."

Mark watched her go away. Amanda got into her car and drove off, thinking things that she would do to do Jesse when she finally caught him in bed. But eventually, it melted down into a smile how he could be so cheeky enough as to actually stay in bed and miss a whole day at the hospital. Technically it wasn't allowed but who was going to tell? She drove the rest of the way to the apartment with the music and arrived at Jesse's apartment quickly. The music and the engine died down together and Amanda got out of the car, shutting the door behind her.

She walked up the stairs quickly, her heels tapping on the concrete stairs. Amanda stood on the doorway of Jesse's apartment door and rapped on the door. "Jesse!" she shouted and stopped suddenly as the door opened from her pounding on the door. Immediately she swallowed and took a cautious step inside. "Jesse?" she asked slightly more quietly and a little more scared. She kept the door open behind her and clutched her bag as an instinct reaction.

Amanda walked into the living room and saw nothing out of the ordinary there apart from the turned over plants. The soil had spread over onto the carpet. She wandered into the kitchen and there was nothing serious there either. Jesse's spare bedroom was totally empty. The cupboards were empty and there seemed to be nothing there. Jesse's bedroom was another story.

The covers were a mess. They were all tangled at one end of the bed. The lamp from last night was still smashed on the floor by the bedside table. The telephone is dangling from the bedside table, the cord barely touching the table and it had stopped bouncing. The cord itself, once curled, had now stretched to the point it was straight. Amanda could feel a ball of fear appearing in the base of her throat. It was real fear and she was suddenly scared for his safety.

"Jesse!" she called out again. There was no answer from within the house. It was totally deserted. That's when Amanda noticed the patches on the floor near the bedside table. Carefully, she bent down and touched the wet red stain on the carpet. In all her years of medical training and work, she didn't even need to know many basics to know that it was blood. Jesse's blood? Had he been attacked? Had be been hurt somewhere. The stain was still slightly wet so it couldn't have happened that long ago.

But either way there was still no Jesse within he apartment. She checked everywhere else but it only came up with what she already knew. Amanda wondered whether she should call Steve or Mark from here but decided against it. It would be easier to go to Mark and do it from there. Besides, she didn't want to disturb anything from within the room.

Back at the hospital, Mark was still outside when his son, Steve, parked his car outside of the hospital and got out. He sighed and shook his head. "Dad? What are you doing eating outside of the hospital? It's putting off all your patients from having a healthy diet."

Mark lifted up his fruit. "At least it's an apple."

Steve shook his head and sat down. "The stations like hell. Someone messed up every single record on the computers. Someone's got to input the information again and I'm glad it's not me. Captain gave me a break at the moment so I thought I'd come down here."

"And what, harass me?"

Steve gave his father a disapproving look. "Yeah, exactly what I planned." Mark grinned, satisfied with himself and noticing that he'd left his apple on the wall, picked it up by its stem and looked at it with a sudden distaste. He walked over to the bin and dumped it in the trash, realizing that he hadn't eaten much of his lunch after all and he was rather hungry now. He couldn't be bothered to go back in the canteen so he wandered back inside with Steve. "So, exactly where are Jesse and Amanda. I thought at least they'd be out with you."

Mark rolled his eyes whilst he checked the records on reception. "Well, no one really knows where Jesse is and Amanda was here but she's not gone to look for Jesse. She should be at his apartment." He smiled. "If you ask me, I think Jesse did a good run for getting out of this 'meeting' Amanda scheduled for him today."

"Oh yes, the board," Steve remarked. "Riveting stuff, huh?"

Mark shook his head. "Not my field." Steve nodded his head slowly. "So—um---what time do you have to get back to the station."

Steve raised his eyebrows. "Maybe I should take a tip of Jesse and stay out of the way until it's safe and take a beating then."

The elevator doors opened and Amanda came running out. She looked around, searching for someone and spotting Steve and Mark by reception, ran over to them. "Steve, thank God you're here, I was going to ask Mark to call you when I got here." Amanda was obviously out of breath. Anyone would have thought she ran all the way from the Ground Floor up to reception.

Mark laughed. "So, where's our runaway intern?" He stopped when he saw Amanda's unsmiling face. "Something wrong."

"Our 'runaway intern' didn't actually runaway," Amanda said, a troubled look on her face. "There's something wrong at Jesse's apartment. His room is totally messed up—broken lampshade, phone off the hook and there was blood on the floor near his bed." Mark and Steve looked at each other. "I'm not lying! Something is really wrong. Something has happened to Jesse—he's been attacked or kidnapped or something like that."

Steve put his hands on the frustrated Amanda's shoulders. "Amanda, calm down. Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

Steve sighed. "Well, I'll go down there myself with a few people. If something has happened to Jesse, I'm going to be there and make sure that everything is all right."

"I'm coming as well!" Mark and Amanda insisted.

Steve shook his head. "Don't, it will only mean more trouble and with the rate our station is going at the moment, we certainly don't need any of that. My captain will kill me. Just sit tight and I'll be right back with the details."

Amanda brought her hand up to her mouth in anticipation. "Great, now you make us wait."

Steve shrugged as he walked outside with them. "That's the way it…" The ringing of his cell phone cut him off from the rest of his sentence. He pulled it up. "Sloan here…What? When did this happen…Okay, what does he look like…Ah, any identification on him.…?" Steve paused and listened carefully into his phone. His eyebrows rose and a look of shock appeared on his face. "Huh? Yes, yes, I'm here sorry. Yes, I'll come down straight away." He shut his phone off and ran to his care.

"Steve!" Mark shouted running after his son. "What was it?"

"That was Detective James. He just called me to say that that just found a body in the back end of a Warehouse. It matches Jesse's description and what more, Jesse's hospital badge was found in his coat pocket."

"We're coming with you!" Mark insisted.

Steve shook his head. "Don't. James said Jesse was badly beaten up. Stay here and get prepared for when I come back with him." With that, he got into his car, reversed sharply and charged out of the hospital parking lot with Mark and Amanda watching.


	3. The Reality

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CURIOSITY PART III

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Fredric Storage Warehouse—3.04pm

Detective Kyle James was waiting for Lieutenant Sloan outside the Fredric Storage Warehouse later that evening. It was cold and chilly and even in his thick overcoat, he felt the coldness of the September air breeze through. He sat next to Dr Jesse Travis. The young Doctor was bleeding from head to toe. There didn't seem an area that didn't flinch when he touched him. He was unconscious but shivering almost uncontrollably. Jesse's blonde hair was matted with blood, as was the remains of his white hospital coat and jeans he wore underneath. Several bruises and abrasions covered his face and his shirt was half-undone.

"Where are those paramedics!" he shouted. "And where's Sloan!"

Another office turned from the outside of the alley to look at the two of them. "Sloan is supposed to be on his way, so are the paramedics. They should be here any minute."

Within a few minutes of saying that, a car screeched to a halt outside of the alley and Steve Sloan got out. Barely closing the door, he ran down the alley and came to a stop at his knees beside the unconscious doctor. "Jesse! Jess, can you hear me? Jesse, it's Steve, wake up." He shook Jesse slightly and turned him from his side onto his back. He gasped in disbelief at the mass of cuts and bruises and wondered who would do this to him. His shock was immediately replaced by anger. He would find out who did this.

"He still breathing?" Steve demanded.

"He was the last time I checked." Steve put his fingers to Jesse's neck and found a pulse. It was faint and rapid. He was obviously going into shock. "I don't know how long he's been there, Sloan. We found him fifteen minutes ago and he could have been anywhere." Kyle James looked at detective Sloan carefully propping the shivering and muttering Jesse against the wall almost tenderly. "Do you know him, Steve?"

Steve nodded curtly. "He works in the same hospital as my dad." Kyle James nodded. Suddenly he knew who Steve was referring too. He had heard of the many tales of the Sloans with Amanda Bentley and Jesse Travis.

Jesse stared to stir. Slowly at first, moving his head from side to side and wincing as he did so. Steve, having learnt a lot form his father as a doctor, knew it would be best if Jesse was awake. He lifted his head up. "Jesse, wake up, come on." Jesse slowly started to open his eyes. He couldn't see very much at first apart from the blurred figures in front of him. Pain followed immediately afterwards and he was too weak to do anything but groan from the pain. He closed his eyes again and someone said to him, "No, Jesse, stay awake, you can't go back to sleep."

"Steve?" he moaned, recognizing the voice of his friend. "That you?"

"Yeah, it is. What happened to you, buddy?"

Jesse frowned, unable to hear what was going on. He was in a world of his own. "I'm sorry, Steve…didn't mean to do anything wrong…knew—knew I should have told you…they got me first."

Steve took Jesse's shoulders. "Who got to you first?"

Jesse didn't appear. He seemed really distressed. "I was going to tell you…I was…just didn't get the time." His eyes started to close and he didn't hear both Steve and Kyle James calling out his name, attempting to wake him up again. But Jesse had slipped back into unconsciousness again. Steve mentally kicked himself for not keeping Jesse awake. There was every chance he could fall into a coma and if that happened, he may never wake up. From the state of his injuries, Steve would not be surprised. Jesse looked as though he had been through hell and back again.

Only time could tell. Steve was relieved when the ambulance finally arrived. He insisted he rode in the ambulance with Jesse and called a distressed Mark and Amanda to warn them they were coming in. To Steve, the ride seemed slow. The ambulance was going as fast as it could but to Steve, it wasn't fast enough. He remembered his captain always telling him it was never a good idea to get involved with personal cases but in this case it was different. If it were his father or Amanda, it would have been the same as well. He wanted to take part in this and wanted to catch them. This was more than just a cop instinct.

They arrived outside the Community General Hospital within a few minutes. Mark and Amanda were waiting for them. Several paramedics helped Jesse into the hospital. Amanda's field was not doctoring. She held back Steve so he would not run with his father. "What happened to him?" she asked, one arm holding onto Steve and the other up to her mouth. She had got a brief glimpse of Jesse before he was quickly whisked away but what she did see shocked her. "Steve?"

Steve simply shrugged but looked ahead at the doors. "I don't know," he finally said. "He woke up for a few minutes but then he went again." He kicked the wall in anger. "Who the hell would want to do this…to Jesse of all people."

Amanda put a hand on Steve's shoulder to calm him down. "It may not be that bad. You'd just have to wait and see what your father comes up with." But even with her expertise in an autopsy, she knew that the injuries were hardly anything to take lightly. 

Inside the hospital, Mark was having problems of his own.

"Dr Sloan, I don't think you should be doing this one," Dr Pete Taylor said. Mark looked outraged at this. As much as Pete respected the Doctor for his brilliance in helping people, he always remembered that even in a hospital routine that it's not good if someone you knew was being treated by yourself. It brought on too many emotional problems which could easily result with problems both for the patient and the doctor.

"What do you mean, you don't think I should be doing it. He's my friend any more than yours. There should be no reason that you shouldn't be doing it either." Mark Sloan's face was set in determination.

"With all due respect, Dr Sloan, I just think it's for the best, you being more friends with Jesse Travis than I am. Just wait, Dr Sloan, I'll come out as soon as I have finished and tell you first exactly what is going on." Pete Taylor had always been a firm man and good at his work. Mark knew that. Reluctantly, he agreed to let Pete doctor Jesse Travis, provided he could be in the same room. 

"Okay," Pete said when he entered the room with Mark. "What is there?"

Jeanie Porter, a new doctor looked over at Jesse's still form. "Head injuries, possibly a severe concussion. Quite a few broken ribs and internal injuries. We have internal bleeding near the appendix area—possibility of broken bones in the leg area. Second degree burns and the spine seems to have suffered damage due to the bruising behind…" The list went on and on and Mark wished that Jeanie wasn't so accurate in her accounts this time. The injuries now coming to life about Jesse were all becoming apparent. He wished it was _anyone_ but Jesse and that he was treating him. He put his head in his hands and shook his head at the same time. Pete briefly noticed but had to get on with his job.

"All right, I want him in surgery as soon as possible. He's lost a lot of blood." The doctors got Jesse prepared. Mark Sloan looked at his friend and prayed.

__

Community General Hospital—7.28pm

Jesse shook his head. He didn't know what was going on. There were voices around him everywhere and he couldn't understand a word they were saying. He couldn't recognize any of the voices. His legs and arms and eyes felt heavy. He couldn't move them to walk or open them up to look around. He felt really bad and wondered what was going on.

"…Stopped internal bleeding now so…"

"Yes Doctor Taylor…should I get Dr Sloan…"

"Will…a good idea…down immediately with Steve and Amanda..."

Through the misted world within Jesse's mind, he remembered the names. He started to remember what happened. He knew he had been in his apartment, he had been kidnapped. He remembered the struggle and that he had been knocked unconscious. When he woke up, he was strapped in a chair, arms and legs bound with a blindfold over his eyes. His head felt as though it was stuffed with cotton wool and the horrible smell of chloroform still lingered.

"_Hello_!" he shouted and his voice echoed around. Jesse shook his head and scraped it against his shoulder to try and get the blindfold off.

_"That won't be necessary," _someone else said. His voice seemed to come from everywhere. "_I think at the moment, it is necessary that identities remain secret for the moment, don't you agree? I know exactly who you are, Doctor Travis but I think it is wise you do not know me or anyone else in this room."_

Jesse gritted his teeth. _"Marcus! I know it's you! There's no point in denying it. I know all about you, I've been told about your schemes."_

A laugh vibrated through the large room. Jesse looked around to see where it could have come from through the blindfold. But he could not pinpoint where the sound was coming from. "_It seems that for someone who was just meant to 'look after' Day Passer, you know an incredible amount. I didn't think they'd tell you my name. Come on, Dr Travis, who told you? Passer? Anders? Or maybe Holmes himself." _The laugh sounded again but Jesse remained silent. _"It's a shame that you do not share the same humor that I do, Dr Travis."_

Jesse laughed bitterly. "_I don't see the reason to be humored by a kingpin who laughs at his own sad jokes."_

He heard footsteps approach him and he let out a sharp cry as someone slapped him hard across the face. He felt hot breath against his neck. "_I advise you not to anger Mr. Marcus. It could be sufficiently bad for your health, and even you, as a doctor should know that_." A small evil laugh filled his ears and Jesse shivered involuntarily at the comment. He didn't realize how much trouble he was in until now. These guys really meant business and they wanted to have fun.

__

"I'm fed up with games! What do you want!" Jesse tried to sound as tough as he wanted to be but in reality, his voice came out small and didn't half vibrate through the room.

_"You know exactly what I want Dr Travis. You're a bright young man, it shouldn't be too hard for you since you have been told about this." _More footsteps came towards him and the blindfold was ripped from his eyes. He stared to face with a man who must have been in his late forties with jet black gelled hair and small dark eyes. He forced himself to stay calm even though that was very hard.

Jesse gritted his teeth and stared into his eyes. "_Go on, tell me, your boys must have knocked me out too hard. I can't remember."_

Marcus looked back at the reluctant young doctor. He brought out a hand from his expensive trousers pocket and placed it around Jesse's throat. Panic gripped the younger man's body. He could feel the hand tighten around his throat. "_Believe me, Dr Travis, the last thing you want to see is someone like me getting annoyed. If you cannot remember I shall have to say it out to you clearly. I want to know where Day Passer is." _He gripped Jesse's throat even more to enforce what he was saying. Jesse almost gagged and gripped the sides of the chair he was strapped to even tighter. Closing his eyes, Jesse wondered whether he was going to black out.

He thought about Day, probably drinking at the bar as he usually did every night to relieve himself from stress. He already knew that Marcus wanted Day and he would do anything he could to not give him away to Marcus. He then looked up at Marcus. _"Over my dead body," _he managed to say despite the hand around his throat.

Marcus let out an enraged cry and cuffed Jesse across the face. He let out a cry and couldn't keep his balance, especially with the blindfold on. He could feel himself falling over. Jesse landed hard on one of his tied arms and it took a lot for him to just wince in pain. He wriggled to see if he could do anything to get out. Suddenly, the chair was straightened up for him and he shook his head to clear it. _"I must apologize for the cruelty of some of my friends. I see they have not made you feel that welcome. Rogers! Please untie Dr Travis from his chair. I am sure he would like to walk around before we decide to do the next things on our agenda. They, of course, will not allow him to stand up easily."_

Jesse shivered again as he felt a knife cut through the ropes that bound him to the chair. His hands fell free and he looked around his surroundings again. He was in a large building—like a warehouse. It was totally empty and must have been used a long time ago. The only things that remained were a few boxes the dust. The lights were switched on and Marcus' guards were everywhere.

_"Well, what are you waiting for you? Get up." _Jesse looked round again slowly and shakily got to his feet, pressing down against the arms of the chair. He wasn't too confident around being around here. With all the guards armed with their own rifle or shotgun, he was aware that his position was not good. He ran a hand through his dark blond hair and let out a shaky breath. _"There should be nothing for you to worry about Dr Travis. Provided that you do the things we ask you, you shall be all right."_

Jesse shook his head. "_If you think I'm going to give up Day that easily you got another thing coming." _Jesse didn't know how the words were coming out of his mouth. He didn't feel brave at all but there was something inside him that didn't want him to give up Day that easily. He didn't want to die but he wanted to give Marcus a little bit of difficulty. Jesse didn't want to show them that he was easy.

Marcus did look slightly amused. _"Is that so, Dr Travis. Well, as they say in those good old movies, 'we have ways of making you talk.' I hate that line, don't you? It's so cliched, but I can see why people use them now. I do have ways, which I could make you give up Day's whereabouts."_

"Oh really? I'd like to see how."

Marcus laughed and everybody joined in. _"This is going to be a long night, fellas, don't 'cha think?" _They all nodded. Marcus walked over to Jesse and lifted his chin up. "_You are still young Dr Travis. You could have a good career ahead of you and I would hate to see for someone like you, to have a good medical education disappear because of a bullet through the brain." _Jesse's eyes widened in fear but he didn't answer. If he could help it, he was going to say as little as possible. He didn't want to give any hints as to where Day could be.

_"So, you are someone with a lot of courage," Marcus said. "Or at least you are trying to have some."_

"I'm not hiding anything or pretending anything either," Jesse stated as persuasively as he could. He didn't think he was convincing anyone though. "_Listen I'm fed up with playing games. You can do what you want to do but I'm sure as hell not going to give away Day that easily…" _Jesse stopped for a moment in thought. _"But before you do, tell me one thing, how did you know that I was connected to Day anyway?"_

Marcus spread his hands wide. _"Let's say I have some sources. I must say, one of those sources you got hooked onto pretty well." _

Jesse frowned in confusion. He frowned at Marcus wondering what he was getting at but realized that with his winning smile, he was not going to move him at all. Jesse waited for something to happen—a shot? A kick? A sudden knife stab in the back from one of the 'henchmen' standing behind him? But Jesse realized they couldn't kill him. After all, they needed him. Without him, they were pretty much stuck. That comforted Jesse a little but he was pretty certain that pain was to follow. A cold draught flowed through the old warehouse making him shiver as he was still in just his light shirt and white hospital jacket. Jesse thought he must look pretty stupid but suddenly, that didn't see important any more. His own safety was more important now.

A door opened and suddenly Jesse knew where the draft was coming from.

There was the sound of footsteps and from behind someone appeared. A slender figure appeared through the doors, wearing a black dress and her heels clicked against the concrete floor of the warehouse. Her long blonde hair was tied back neatly and it looked as though was ready to go out somewhere fancy. Jesse's mouth dropped open in surprise and for a few moments, he said nothing. "_Ah, here she is," _Marcus said as he put his arms around the waist of the woman. "_That's my girl. Ready to go out?"_

Jesse started to take a step forward to two people prevented him from getting there. He was held back by both his arms. "_Haley! Haley, you were in this as well? How could you do that?"_

Haley, the blonde woman smiled and put her arm around Marcus' shoulders. "_I wish I could say I'm sorry, Jesse. But you wouldn't be the first. It's all part of the plan, Jess, and you fell right into it. You told me all about Day…"_

"I can't believe this!" Jesse shouted, interrupted her. He was angry beyond thought. He struggled against the people holding him. He would do anything to reach out and hurt Marcus or Haley herself. Jesse couldn't believe the woman who he trusted and had been going out for two months with could do something like that to her. Jesse didn't know whether to be angry and carry on showing it or break down in tears. His situation seemed hopeless now.

_"I'm sorry, Dr Travis. Maybe you could reconsider your holding back of Day Passer's whereabouts?" _Jesse lowered his head and shook his head, his arms still being held onto. He had stopped struggling by now. Suddenly, he saw a movement. As he looked up, he saw someone's fist flying toward him. It caught him full force into his stomach. Instinctually, Jesse collapsed to his knees, pain forcing its way through his stomach. Unable to help it, he started to cough up…

__

Community General Hospital—7.43pm

"…Blood. Doctor Taylor, Jesse is beginning to cough up blood," Jeanie informed. Pete Taylor got up from his chair quickly, where he had been having a coffee. He ran towards Jesse's ICU room. Jesse had come out of surgery over an hour and a half ago. Since then, things had been pretty quiet. He had informed Mark, Steve and Amanda of the current situation of their friend and promised to do everything he could. He had been relaxing and having a much-needed coffee. Jesse seemed to be all right and had just been brought to a stable condition. He was still critical though and wondered whether Jesse would actually make. So he had been half way through his coffee when Jeanie suddenly came in and announced the news.

In the process, she woke up Mark and Amanda from their sleep. Steve remained totally undisturbed and continued in his slumber curled over three of the doctors lounge chairs. The second Mark and Amanda heard that, they forgot about their tiredness and followed Pete into the ICU room. "Mark, maybe you shouldn't come in. Or you Amanda."

Mark shook his head. "Nothing is going to make me stand outside this time, Pete. Our friend could be dying in there, I'm a doctor and I have every right to help him as you do."

Pete gave up. "You're a tough one, Dr Sloan."

Pete, Mark and Amanda entered the room. Pete ran over to Jeanie who was standing beside Jesse. He was jerking awkwardly, his breath coming up raspy in between the amounts of blood he was coughing up. His body would tense up harshly every now and again and then relaxing. "All right, he's convulsing. I was someone to stand by. He's having trouble breathing so I want some oxygen in here right away." Nurses started to move around and Mark found he couldn't move. Amanda also found that out. The sight of one of their best friends in some of the worst conditions they had dealt with frightened them both. These things they expected to see from other patients who had been beaten up in alleys or rough pubs—not from Jesse.

"Pulse stat!" someone shouted loudly. Mark knew he could go in and help but he suddenly realized the sense in Pete's words. It wasn't good for him to get involved and the shock of his friend's appearance had prevented him from doing anything anyway. Amanda had seen Jesse fir the first time since he had been brought in and she was just paralyzed with shock. Eventually, unable to stand by and watch her friend suffering, she turned round and walked out of the room into the corridor.

Mark noticing this followed her out. She was pacing outside the reception area, her hand to her mouth again and closing her eyes every now and again to prevent the tears from coming out. Mark came up to her and hugged her closely. Amanda broke down in tears. "Come on, Amanda," Mark said, "it's all going to be all right, you'll see."

Amanda shook her head. "I would always be so sure that it would never happen to any of us and because we were doctors, we'd pull through. Now I'm not so sure, Mark. Looking at Jesse like that scares me. I don't know within myself that he's actually going to make it."

Mark shook his head this time. "Jesse's going to make it. You'll see about that. He's got Pete working for him and Jesse will pull through this fine, just like he's pulled through everything else."

Amanda nodded and Mark let go. Amanda sat down in one of the waiting room chairs beside reception and took a deep breath, running her hands through her long dark hair. "He's just…so young. You don't expect anything like that to happen to him. I mean…we always think of Jesse as the one to get into trouble 'cause he's younger and more vulnerable. I suppose that's what…

"Don't worry," someone said coming beside her. "I'm going to find out who did this." Amanda and Mark turned to see a tired but determined Steve walking up to them. He put his hand on Amanda's shoulder. "I'll make sure of that." Amanda nodded and lowered her head again.

That's when all the nurses came out of the ICU room. Amanda jumped up and walked over to them. "How is he?" she demanded.

Pete ran a hand over his eyes. "Well, he's still critical but we stabilized him. He's not convulsing or coughing up blood anymore." He looked away from his friends. "Truth is, I don't know how to tell you guys, but Jesse could easily slip into a coma. He sighed remorsefully. "And I'm not sure, with all his injuries, that he'd ever wake up from it again if that did happen."


	4. The Start

****

CURIOSITY PART IV

__

LAPD Headquarters—7.30am

Steve walked into LAPD headquarters the next morning still very tired. He was still shocked over the news last night and in need of a lot more coffee. He rubbed his eyes as he walked in and prepared to sit down at his desk when his captain called him in. Without a choice, we went inside and sat down heavily in front of his captain's desk. "Man, Sloan, you look wiped out. What were you doing last night?" Steve didn't answer so his captain left it at that. "I knew you're upset and everything. It's natural. But I suppose you want to take Jesse Travis's case, right?"

Steve looked up. "Yes, I do."

His captain cringed at the determination in his voice. "I don't think if that's such a good idea, Sloan. Like your father's job, personal involvement in a case is not a good idea. I was thinking about pulling you off the case."

Steve stood up. "No, I want to take this case, Captain. I'm going to take this case." He didn't let his captain carry on. "I made a promise to myself and to my friends that I'd find out who hurt Jesse Travis and put him behind where he belongs—the bars! Now I don't know if you share my enthusiasm to help someone who has helped us in cases as well but I'm positive that I want to do this one."

His captain sighed and shook his head. "There's no way I can persuade you, is there, Sloan."

Steve shook his head and said a stern, "No."

Captain nodded. "All right, Sloan, you take Travis' case, Find out who did this but I want thorough posting whenever you can." Steve nodded and turned away. "And Sloan, if I hear one word of police brutality and harassment from you, you're off the case." Steve nodded and walked out of the door, slamming it behind him. He was annoyed and tired and eager to start something on this case. He wandered over to his desk and glanced at the few notes and the report Kyle James had left on his desk the day before after leaving. Steve read through it more thoroughly afterwards. It revealed nothing that he already didn't know.

Steve eventually found that he couldn't work. He couldn't work knowing that Jesse was so ill and his father and Amanda were round the hospital unable to do anything but keep their minds of it by working. For once, Steve could use one of his dad's bright ideas in solving the case. He needed somewhere to start and he couldn't think of it. Giving up from sitting at his desk forty-five minutes later, he got up and went to his car to drive down to the hospital.

When he walked in, he couldn't see either Amanda or his father. There were plenty of other nurses wandering around, doing their own things. Steve stood and thought for a few minutes, thinking about where his father could be when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped and turned round. "Oh, Norman, hi, how's it going."

Norman bowed his head and shook it like someone at a funeral. "Not good, I'm afraid."

"What's up?" Steve asked distractedly.

Norman looked up at him and followed him as he started walking off. "You know. The whole hospital has been talking about it! I have to doctors leaving and now Jesse! One of the best hard working interns and I'm about to lose him."

Steve stopped and turned around. "What do you mean, lose him?"

Normal stopped abruptly and began to stutter. "Well, well…I…err…people have been saying Jesse isn't going to make it. Pete said himself he didn't think that Jesse was ever going to wake up again and that he was as good as dead. He said that they couldn't keep him on life support forever when other patients need the materials and…and we just haven't got the _money _to keep everything going."

Steve looked down at him harshly. "Are you saying you wouldn't pull in a few extra bucks to keep Jesse alive and give him a chance."

Normal shifted a little bit. "Well, have you seen the tax accounts and with my financial problems I don't think we'd be able. Space has been running wild round the hospital ever since the fire accident. There is hardly any room in the hospital. I constantly have threats that this hospital could close."

Steve shook his head and looked down. "How can you think about that. This is Jesse! You've known him for ages and you know he's the best intern. You said yourself. You know that he'd be able to pull through despite anything and you wouldn't be prepared to give him that chance?" Steve cried in disbelief.

Normal shuffled even more uncomfortably. "I suppose so, yes."

"Good. Where's my father?"

"Oh, I think I saw him down with Amanda in the pathology labs," Norman said, trying to be helpful. Steve left him to his own business and found Mark and Amanda by the pathology labs. Amanda was trying to finish some reports to try and take her mind off things. She put them aside when Steve came in.

"Found anything?" she asked.

Steve had to smile at her insistence. "I wish cases were solved within a night as well but I've barely started. There's nothing to go on. I need some help where to start as well." He clenched his hand onto a fist and banged it lightly against the cold steel table. "I've been allowed to do the case and I don't even know where to start! It must be because it's Jesse. But there's nothing solid to go on at the moment. I can't find a single bit of evidence in a report or anywhere…"

"No witnesses as well," Mark offered unhelpful.

Steve threw up his hands. "Where should I start?"

Amanda threw down a file. "How about his current girlfriend? I can't remember her name but they've been going out for some time. What if Jesse told her something or she knew something? You know how Jesse is around women…confides in them more than us."

Steve nodded. "It would help to know her name."

Amanda shook her head. "I can't remember but I know where she lives. Jesse made me drop him off there after work one day when his car broke down so I can show you the way. Besides, my shift doesn't start till midday, I can go, can't I, Mark?"

Mark nodded. "Sure."

Amanda went off with Steve. She directed him from what she remembered to the house that Jesse's girlfriend lived in. She also remembered along the way that her name was Haley Johnson. Steve parked the car in front of a large two-storey house not far away from his father's beach house. It was a whitewashed house with a very neat garden. An expensive red Porsche was parked out in the front drive and from the open garage in front of it there was a Ferrari. Amanda raised her eyebrows at the cars. "I think in this case, Haley would be supporting Jesse and not the other way round." Steve smiled and walked up to the front door, rapping onto it a few times.

There seemed no sound from inside. Steve rapped again and eventually got impatient. "Mrs. Johnson, this is LAPD, open the door please."

There was the sound of a chain scraping and the door opened a little bit to reveal a woman with long blond wet hair. She wore a bathrobe covered over here. "LAPD?" she asked. "I'm sorry, I was in the shower. I would have come down sooner…"

Steve looked embarrassed. "Sorry," he said.

Haley opened the door wide, revealing her slim blonde form captured in the ankle long silk robe. She ventured them inside. Amanda smiled and let Steve go in first, making him feel even more uncomfortable. Steve stepped inside the large house. "Please, come into the living room." She looked at Amanda and smiled again. "And you are…"

Amanda held out her hand. "Amanda Bentley…county medical examiner."

Haley turned to look at Steve. "Has something bad happened?" she asked worriedly. Her smile was practically erased. Amanda thought she looked genuinely worried.

"Well, it has kind off. It's about Jesse."

Haley paused and her smile was wiped off. "Jesse? Is he all right? Tell me what happened." Amanda looked at her and found something that couldn't be quite placed. She had always been someone who could decipher someone's personality. Haley seemed genuine in her concern but there was just something about her attitude. Jesse was always telling everyone how wonderful Haley was. Amanda was beginning to wonder. But what bugged her most was that Haley did seem very worried. She was either a good actress or telling the truth.

"Well, yesterday Jesse was found in an alley. He was very badly beaten up and was admitted to hospital. He's…he's not in a coma."

Haley didn't say anything for a few moments. Her eyes welled up for a moment but she managed to push it aside and wipe them away quickly. "Is…is he going to be all right?" she asked her voice on the edge of breaking.

Steve shrugged. "That's yet to say."

"Oh God," Haley said and sat down the couch. She buried her head in her hands and muttered for a moment. "Bastard," she said.

"What?" Steve asked.

Haley jumped and looked at him, saying, "Sorry, nothing." She ran her hands through her hair and took a deep breath. "So…why have you come to me about it." She looked at them then stood up. "No! You don't think I have anything to do with Jesse's attack, do you, that's just…"

"We're not, Miss Johnson," Steve assured here. "We just want to ask some questions. We're trying to find out who did this to Jesse. We need to know if he was doing anything strange lately. Did he tell you anything or did you see anything that could help us figure out why someone would want to do this."

Haley thought for a moment. "N-no, he didn't really tell me anything like that. Jesse told me things at the hospital and things like that. He never told me about anything strange or any of the cases he had been solving with his friends…Steve and Mark Sloan and…" she looked at Amanda. "Amanda Bentley." She turned back to Steve. "Are you Mark Sloan?"

"No, I'm Steve."

"Oh yes, Mark Sloan is the doctor," Haley reminded herself. She took another shuddered breath and wiped her eyes with her fingers. "I'm sorry, I'm not usually the one to break down like this. But some…someone _jerk _actually left Jesse out in alley way beaten up like that?" A tear escaped from her eyes and slid down her cheek. She caught it quickly and turned around. "Can I see him at the hospital."

Steve was suddenly very sympathetic towards her. "Of course you can. If you go to Community General and ask for Mark Sloan, he'd be glad to help you."

Haley let out a shuddered breath from trying to keep her crying in. "Thanks."

Amanda, who had been wandering around the lavish living room, stopped and looked at some of the photographs there. There were several of herself, some of Jesse some with Haley and some without and quite a few of a man with an olive complexion and found in a business suit with almost all of them. She picked one of the photos up, which consisted of this man and Haley herself. "Who's this one?"

Haley turned to look at Amanda and then at the photograph. "Oh, that's my ex-boyfriend."

"You have pictures of your ex-boyfriend here?" Amanda asked surprised.

Haley smiled and sniffed. "Maybe some love never dies. Jesse says it's not a problem as long as he's somewhere there."

Amanda laughed and put the photo down. "Sounds like Jesse."

Haley turned around. "Anyway, he's long gone now. Last time I knew, he was in Nevada or somewhere like that." Amanda nodded and turned round, looking at Steve. He thought it was time to leave so they left Haley alone, saying that she was free to come to the hospital whenever she wanted to visit Jesse. Back in the car, Steve sat back and thought again with his head against the seat. He was having trouble adjusting to the facts again. Things were not moving as quickly as planned.

"What do you think?" he asked Amanda.

"Me?" Amanda thought frowning. "Well, I thought she was forthright and honest. I think she was genuinely upset over Jesse's condition. But there's just something—_something—_that keeps telling me that she knew about what happened to Jesse, just not about her condition."

Steve shrugged. "Well, we can't be accusing her of that. Do you think she was telling the truth when she said she didn't know anyone that would hurt Jesse?"

Amanda nodded. "I think so. Jesse is not the sort of person who goes telling someone if he's in danger or not. Knowing Jesse he would probably try and live it out on his own for a while. I think we can overrule Haley. She seems good to Jesse and Jesse was happy with her. Like I said, Jesse tried to do something by himself until the last minute."

Steve sighed. "That last minute ticked awfully fast for Jesse...but probably not as long as last night did for him"

__

Haley Johnson's House—10.23am

Haley watched Lieutenant Sloan and Amanda Bentley leave her house and drive off up the road. Then she turned round and buried her face in her hands, feeling safe in the comfort of her home that everything was all right. But deep inside herself she knew what everything was not all right. Everything was going wrong and she knew that a lot of it was her fault. The horrible feeling of guilt welled up inside her stomach and she tried hard to not let the tears fall. "Oh, God, Jesse, I'm so sorry. I never knew it would go this far. I never thought it would happen to you."

"Well, it did," someone said and Haley jumped up from her seat in shock. She pulled her robe round her even more when she saw the thin middle aged man enter the room. He walked through the back door. "You're not having second thoughts about what you have done are you?"

Haley shook her head. "I just never thought you'd hurt him that bad."

He shrugged uncaringly. "He was very difficult and we only had a night." He came over to her and stroked her cheek softly. "You did what Marcus asked you and everything is well. Day is dead and…"

Haley snapped her head round, forcing his hand away from her face. "Carlos, you are one hell of a jerk, you know that. Get off me." She took a step back. "Marcus would not be pleased if I told him you were doing this to me. Go away and leave me alone. You've hurt Jesse, you've killed Day, that's all you've ever been good at—hurting people."

Carlos laughed. "Aw, you are too soft. You have to be tough to survive in this world." His smile was erased. "You have to be tough if you wish to survive with Marcus. You can see how brutal he can be. You saw what he did to Day and what he's done to your precious Jesse Travis. Tell me, did he really make you feel that good, that much better than Marcus…?"

Haley's eyes blazed with anger. She turned round and slapped Carlos in the face. "Shut up, you jerk."

Carlos put a hand to his face, this time he was blazing with anger. "I advise you not to do that again, Haley. I'd better warn you, like Marcus asked me to before that cop came over, don't do anything to jeopardize what Marcus has just destroyed. He got rid of Day and he hurt Jesse, a lot of it in front of your eyes. If you spill everything we may go in and hurt Jesse even more. Or even worse, you could become like Marcus' three other girlfriends…"

Haley nodded and watched Carlos go out of the door. Carlos gave a lot of threats and she was scared. She cried, wishing Jesse would make it out.


	5. The Pain & the Progress

****

CURIOSITY PART V

__

Community General Hospital—12.55pm

Jesse felt cold. He didn't know why but he was shivering. He had been shivering as well, he remembered, when he was in the warehouse. After Marcus' goons had finished giving him a rough up after Haley's visit, he was sent to one of the small storage box rooms. They struggled getting Jesse up there. He had been beaten up so badly that he could barely breathe let alone stand. Finally, Carlos lost his patience and began to drag Jesse along the floor. "_Carlos!" _Haley cried angrily. "_At least show some courtesy to our guest. He did not, after all come from the gutter." _Carlos looked at her, grunted and hauled Jesse to his feet. He cried out in pain as this was done. Then Carlos made another one of the men take Jesse to the room with him.

Jesse didn't know whether he passed out of not. He assumed he must have done because he remembered waking up and looking around the rooms. He groaned and spat out blood from his split lip. He grimaced as he moved about and found that his hands were handcuffed to the piping cemented to the wall and even his feet were tied together. 'At least I'm not gagged or blindfolded' he thought to himself but that didn't make him feel totally better.

He remembered Carlos and his friends hitting him about. After he punched him in the stomach, he began kicking him, in the chest, the back and Jesse could remember at least two punches in the head. His chest hurt ever time he breathed and Jesse wondered whether his stomach would hurt if he ate? His muscles, which had been rigid for so long since his beating now had the chance to relax and they hurt because of this. There was a pain in the back of his head and the front of his face where Carlos' jaw connected there.

_"Dam!" _Jesse said to himself. How did he get into this mess? Why didn't he just give up? Marcus had given him the chance but he had passed it by. Whilst he was being kicked near to death, Marcus was standing by calmly just saying, "_You can get out of this Dr Travis. If you tell me where Day Passer we will stop hurting you. Is he really someone to die for?"_

Jesse cried out with every beating he took. He felt like he was going to die right now. He'd rather have died right now than suffer through this. And every time Marcus said this shook his head and every time Marcus said it he cried out no. Jesse wondered why. Why was Day something to die over? He had managed without Day before. Maybe it was his company? Maybe it was the interests they shared? Maybe because it was every night Day would tell him how scared he was and how death never scared him so much until now…

That was it. He owed Day slightly longer.

"_Very loyal, aren't you Dr Travis. Look at me in the face and tell me that Day Passer is something worth dying for."_

Jesse couldn't even lift a finger let alone his face. Carlos grabbed his hair and yanked it up, forcing Jesse's head up. He couldn't believe he could be reduced to a beaten up mass and on his knees at Marcus Lavoy's feet. He forced his eyes up.

_"I'd rather die for the poor homeless bastard down the street than die for a worthless parasite like you." _Jesse couldn't remember putting so much hatred into words before. He was never the sort of person to insult before and especially in this sort of way. But something inside him finally snapped. He gave up and felt as thought he had to do it. Marcus glared down at him and Jesse half expected him to life that expensive polished shoe and kick him full length in the face.But he didn't. He calmly looked at Carlos and told him to take him down to the room. That's how Jesse ended up here.

Now he was reliving what had happened and languishing in the pains he had. It seemed every time he moved, it brought up a new pain. He was still in his hospital gown. Once white, it was now sprayed with his own red blood. He could see where they had soaked through his shirt and onto the gown. It was ripped in several places. His shirt was disheveled and he had lost several buttons in the process. The only thing that seemed slightly in place was his hair.

So, as Jesse sat there, he thought. He thought about what he had been through. He thought about what he was going to be going through. He suddenly realized that he didn't want to think about it. Ever since he took up the responsibility he had been hearing about the things Marcus Lavoy had done in the past. Anders had given him a bunch of papers after giving him the task of harboring Day. They had not been particularly pleasant, Jesse had to admit. The newspaper clippings and accounts that Anders had given almost made him back out of the assignment. Jesse wandered whether he should just back out of it now and not be stupid enough to carry on with this.

It must have been hours later when the door was unbolted and the door opened. Jesse licked more blood from his lips and looked up. Marcus entered the room and Jesse lowered his head. He didn't want to look at the man but silently, within himself, he was afraid. He didn't want to know what Marcus had in mind. "_Oh, so we have woken up, have we?" _Marcus asked him rhetorically. "_I assure you, such pain for yourself is not needed. But in this early stage of the night, I do not expect you to give up so easily. You have shown yourself to be very loyal and brave towards Day. Besides, I wouldn't mind some pleasure."_

Jesse shook his head. "_You just thrive on other people's pain," _he said.

Marcus smiled. "_No, Dr Travis, I thrive on my own success. It's a big world out there and you won't be able to get very far if you do not succeed. That means eliminating the competition, getting rid of problems." _He bent down close to Jesse and made him look up. Jesse's eyes narrowed. "_Day Passer is a problem, and so are you. Surely you know how people such as myself deal with problems…" _Marcus waited for an answer and when he did not get one, he cuffed Jesse across the face. "_What do we do!"_

Jesse brought his head and tried to not let the pressure mounting in his ears get to him. "_Kill him. Because you're scared of what they can do. You only want to be on top so you do the quick, easy, lazy thing and just get rid of them." _This was obviously not the answer Marcus wanted to hear but he did not pursue it any more. From his pocket he brought out a small device. It was a small metallic box and on it were several buttons and settings. From one end, two spokes came out.

"_This is one of my latest creations," _Marcus informed him. "_A most reliable device. I think in hospitals, the closest things that come to this are Defibrillators?" _Jesse held in his breath. He suddenly knew what the little machine was. It was an electrocuting device. Jesse tried to not let his fear show but his hands were shaking behind his back and his pulse was racing. Surely Marcus did not plan to use this on him. Marcus stood up. _"The last time I used this on a person was a few months ago on a man called…"_

"Harvey Allyson," Jesse answered. _"He was found in San Diego a couple of months ago, practically burnt from head to toe. His face was barely recognizable and disfigured from the electrocution."_

Marcus looked down at his bound captive in appreciation. _"Well, done Dr Travis, I see you have been doing a lot of research. But I'm sure Day Passer and Anders told you some fascinating and more elaborate stories."_

"If you use that thing on me, I wouldn't think they were elaborate."

Marcus knelt down in front of him again. "_I wouldn't think so." _Marcus called Carlos in. It took two people to finally get Jesse gagged again. "_I really don't want to be deafened." _Jesse didn't say anything but breathed heavily. Even thought Marcus had told them to go, he could still see Carlos and another man hiding round the corner ready to see. Jesse tried to back away as he saw the spokes come closer to him. He jumped when a sudden burnt of electricity was let lose and he could see the eerie blue charge between the two spokes. Finally, he felt them connect in his arm and he closed. The charge was nothing like he'd ever experienced. His whole body tensed up and he could feel it reverberating through his body. He started shaking and crying out in his gag. He thrashed, to try and get it away. Not long afterwards, Jesse could feel pinpricks of light beginning to dance in front of his eyes. He felt nauseous and felt like he wanted to throw up. Finally, thought, the nightmare ended.

But it ended up carrying on. Marcus gave it to him a few minutes at a time. Jesse could swear that he was going to pass out if not throw up first. He could constantly hear Marcus saying, "_Do you give up now Dr Travis. You'd have to beg for mercy or tell me where Day Passer is before I stop this."_

Jesse begged. He begged and begged in his mind and thought the gag for Marcus to stop. Finally thought, in some corner of Jesse's still conscious mind, he thought Marcus had stopped. The door was closed and locked again and from somewhere, there was laughter. Jesse forced himself throw up. He only then noticed how hopeless his situation was. He wasn't going to get out until they had their fun with him. Against his will, Jesse started shivering from cold of fear (he wasn't sure himself) and the tears began to fall.

__

Community General Hospital—1.27pm

Mark Sloan had been sitting with Jesse when the shivering occurred. He had been sitting with Jesse so he could have someone. He understood why people wanted to be with their relatives or friends in hospitals. Mark's shift had ended for a while but he remained behind to stay with Jesse. He had long ago sat with Steve in hospitals and now it was Jesse's turn.

Mark put his hand on Jesse's bed. "Come on, Jesse, you know you can pull through this. You've pulled through absolutely everything—smallpox—two account of being accused or murder and God knows how many other things." He shook his head at the unresponsive form on the bed. "You have to wake up Jesse. Everybody is worried sick about you, especially Amanda, Steve and I. All the nurses and doctors and worried." Mark suddenly smiled. "Even thought he may not show it, so is Norman." Jesse still didn't respond. Mark patted the limp hand. "Just hang on."

The shivering started rather slowly at first. He shifted from side to side and muttered something Mark didn't understand. Then he started shaking. His shoulders started to shake and he let in a static breath. Mark immediately jumped up when it became apparent that something was definitely wrong with Jesse. He was shivering uncontrollably. Mark put a hand to Jesse's forehead and found that he was slightly cold. Jesse began to perspire and his breath came out quickly. "Pete!" Mark shouted immediately. Pete rushed in within a few seconds. He looked at Mark who was over the shivering Jesse.

Pete ran over to Jesse. "Cold, right?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah."

Pete collected some extra blankets and wrapped Jesse in them in an attempt to get him warmer and stop the shivering. Jesse stared to move his head from side to side. He groaned as if he was in pain. "Day," he mumbled. Mark leaned closer. It was the first time he heard Jesse speak and he wondered whether this was a good sign.

"What was that Jesse?"

"Where is…where's Day? Where…" Jesse seemed to run out of energy. He hadn't opened his eyes and his lips barely moved when he said the words. "Day," he finally said and then the shivering slowly subsided and he fell back to an unwakening sleep again. Mark shook his head in hopelessness. But there were tears falling down his face. Mark and Pete watched as droplets of water slowly fell from his eyes and down his cheeks as though he was crying.

Pete smiled. "Dehydration," Pete said immediately knowing the answer. Mark would probably have said the same thing. It was a natural occurrence in dehydration but suddenly he wasn't so sure in Jesse's case. "As far as I knew, it is still day. He must have really wanted the day to come after that night of horror." Mark nodded but he wasn't truly convinced by Pete's assumption. He thought there was more to Jesse's words than met the eye but he wasn't quite sure yet.

He thanked Pete and walked out of the ICU room where he bumped into Steve and Amanda. "What did you find?" Mark immediately asked them. Amanda and Mark retold their fruitless findings at Haley's house. Asking how Jesse was, Mark then told them about the strange things Jesse had said and how he had started crying. "I don't know, in all my years as a doctor and I'm beginning to feel as thought there's something strange about the way Jesse was acting there. I still don't understand."

"Well, the sentence 'where's day' makes no sense to me either," Steve. "Maybe Pete was right."

Mark shrugged. "Maybe."

Steve rolled his eyes. "But you don't think so." Mark shook his head, agreeing with his son. "And the crying?" Mark shrugged again. "Well, we didn't get anything out of Jesse's girlfriend, Haley. She will probably come down later on but be careful with her." Steve sighed and walked around in a small circle. "Now what? I can't…I can't _think _any more like a cop."

"Maybe this is why your captain didn't want you on the case?" Amanda said."I _want _to be on this case!" Steve shouted. "I want to be on it more than any other case that I can remember off the top of my head." Steve pulled out a file. "My captain gave me this thing this morning in case I found Jesse's case too hard. They found this body on Times Road this morning—a white man, of twenty-seven years with dark brown hair. If I can't do Jesse's case, I sure as hell wouldn't be able to do this one."

Mark and Amanda listened carefully to Steve's speech. When he stopped, he turned round and said, "I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's all right," Mark said. "I suppose we all have to shout at someone to get it out of our system. We are all worried about Jesse but if we want to help him and find out who did this to him." Mark looked around as Amanda and Steve nodded in agreement. "Okay, so where to?"

"Well, how about Jesse's apartment?" Amanda asked them, looking at them both. "I mean, we both assume that this was done to him on purpose and he was not just picked on."

Steve nodded. "It was a careful operation and definitely intended if they took him out of his apartment that night and did this to him."

"So, that's the best place to start, let's go." Mark wandered towards the entrance lobby of the hospital when he spotted Norman walking towards them, as thought he was on another planet. "Norman, do you mind if Amanda and I take a bit of time off from our shift? I mean, Steve's on Jesse's case and we really want to help him find out who did this to Jesse."

Norman opened his mouth if disbelief and put a hand to his forehead. "Oh my God. It's coming true. My nightmare is coming true." The others looked at him puzzled and Norman explained. "I had a nightmare last night that someone was going to ruin this hospital, someone very powerful. Now look! I've lost—sorry, losing—one of my best interns and now my chief of pathology and chief ER doctor are running off with the police to sort out a crime. Oh, I can see bad things coming out of this." Norman wringed his hands over and over. "You'll all get yourselves killed and I'll be out of business and the hospital will be closed and my nightmare will come true."

Steve shook his head. "You should take some more sleeping pills, Norman if you're not sleeping too good."

"You think?" Norman asked hopefully.

"Yeah, nightmares like that don't come true." Norman looked relieved and wandered off happily as Steve, Amanda and Mark, all shaking their heads, exited the hospital and went over to Steve's car. Amanda sat in the back and they drove off towards Jesse's apartment. Back inside the hospital, Norman jumped around happily, glad to know that Steve was so positive. He went to the hospital storage room and got some sleeping pills.

__

Jesse's apartment—1.43pm

It was silent around Jesse's apartment area. Steve, Amanda and Mark wandered over to the door and opened it. Ever since the events had taken place, the door had been shut properly but nothing within the house had been touched. Forensics had gone over it but so far nothing had come back. It was their first time round the apartment thoroughly. Amanda had already been in when she reported the crime but since then nothing else had been touched. Steve opened the door and they went inside. The lights were up but all the shutters were open. The house was stuffy, obviously signs that no one had been in for a while from all the windows being closed.

They left the door open as from several of the room; they had to go past the front door. They saw the living room first. It was small and had not been redecorated since they had last been there. The hearts were still sprayed across the wall. The plants had been straightened and the soil picked up off the floor. Mark wandered off the kitchen. He looked through some of the dirty cups, wondering if anything had been put in them. But there seemed no sign of any drugs of foul play from within here.

He opened the fridge door and raised his eyebrows in surprise. There was a lot of food inside there. Some of it was probably out of date because it had not been used for the last two days. "Was Jesse planning a party or something?" he called out. Steve and Amanda entered the kitchen. They glanced at the fully open fridge and everything there was inside.

"Jesse would have a big cholesterol if he was eating all of this," Steve said. He smiled besides himself. "Did you know of his eating habits."

Mark gave his son a sidelong glance. "Very funny, Steve. But it's strange, though. Why has Jesse got so much food in his house? As far as I know there was no party and not one person can eat all this food." He shrugged and closed the door to the fridge. "Anything else."

"In here!" cried Amanda's muffled voice. They followed her through to where she was sitting on the bed of the spare bedroom. It was small bedroom, just enough for one person. There was a cupboard, a bed and a bedside table. There was only one bathroom in the house anyway. As Steve and Mark entered, they saw that the cupboards were open and so was the bedside table drawer. "I didn't notice anything strange about it before when I came," Amanda started, "but when I opened the cupboard, there were clothes inside."

Steve picked up one of the suits. "Too large to be Jesse's."

Mark nodded slowly. "Someone else was living here with Jesse for a while. That would explain the stuff in the guestroom and the amount of the food in the fridge. Two people had to be fed. Who was living here?"

Amanda shrugged and looked in the bedside drawer. "The only things here are a couple of paracetemols, sleeping pills, a prescribed medicine bottle and a watch." Amanda picked up the medicine bottle. There were only a few pills inside it but she searched for a name on the side. "Daryl Passer. That's all it says. It doesn't seem to give anything else."

"Aren't medicine bottles meant to have date of births and addressees?"

"Yes, Steve, they are," Mark said examining the bottle. "Strange. Well, Daryl Passer was the man living here with Jesse. Did he never tell you lot about this person with him?" They all shook their heads. "Hmm, Jesse had been pretty reluctant to have us round recently, hadn't he."

"Oh yeah," Amanda thought. "With your new electronic equipment."

----------------

__

"Jesse!" Mark called. "Can I ask you something."

"Yeah, sure, what's up?"

"Well, actually, it's more of a favor. I have all this electronic equipment because I've been remodeling the house. Well, with all the decorators I don't want it to get in their way. Could I come round and put them in your house when I finish my shift."

Jesse's face fell. "Um…Mark, well, I'm not sure. You see…my apartment's a bit of a mess, you know, stuffs going on all the day and…it's a bit small. I'd break it anyway!"

Mark looked downcast. "You sure?"

"Yeah, positive."

-----------------

"Yeah, I remember that," Amanda said. "So, that's the whole mystery behind it. Thing is, did this person, Daryl Passer, get Jesse into trouble?" No one answered for they heard a noise. It was the sound of Jesse's door, partially open, being closed and the sound of footsteps.


	6. The Uncovering

****

CURIOSITY PART VI

__

Jesse's apartment—2.04pm

Steve immediately went for the gun in his holster and held the others back. He begun to move forwards and looked around the door of the spare room to the living room. A man was there, hunting around the magazine son the table. "God, Jesse," someone said. It wasn't said with any harshness of anger, it was said sympathetically. "Where've you put it, Jess?" he kept on muttering to himself. No one answered though, of course. After a few minutes of hunting around, the man turned round slightly and Steve took a step forward. The ground below him creaked and the man looked up. He turned his head slightly. "Anyone there?" he asked.

Steve stepped out. "Sloan, LAPD, can you…"

But the man had already taken off, running toward the door. Steve took after him, not wanting to shoot the man if he could help it. That was the last thing he needed. He reached the door just as the man rounded the corner of the corridor and started down the stairs. Steve put on a burst of speed to reach the end of the corridor and catch up with him. The man got to the bottom and ran to a black Cadillac car. Fumbling with the keys, he got into the car and started it. He rode off as quickly as he could. Anders sighed; he had barely got away with it.

Steve, on the other hand, slammed his fist into the side of the stairs and didn't care about the pain. He walked back upstairs and met his father on the way up. He shook his head. "No go, the guy got away," he said in frustration. His lack of process in the case was annoying him. He had to get something concrete soon or else his captain would throw him off the case. His father could see the irritation in his son's attitude and voice. He put a hand on his shoulder.

"It was obvious that whoever this man was, he was looking for something. He was searching Jesse's apartment so there has to be something in there that we've overlooked," Mark insisted. He walked back inside. "Whatever it is, it has to be connected to this Daryl person and what Jesse was doing with him."

Amanda nodded. "I'm curious about this as well now. What was Jesse doing, having another person in his apartment which he never told us about and let alone never invited to come anywhere with us. I mean, was he a patient, which Jesse was looking after, some sort of old friend…"

"Or maybe it wasn't just our business to pry in at the time," Mark pointed out. "It had nothing to do with us. But it does now. So let's try and find what this person was looking for, and then get on track of Day Passer, whoever he is and how's he connected to Jesse."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Dad, I thought that was meant to be my job."

Mark grinned as Steve followed him and Amanda apart. Careful not to make the place a mess, they searched Jesse's apartment. Mark looked throughout the kitchen again, Steve searched Jesse's bedroom and the spare one and Amanda took care of the living room. They searched for the best part of forty-five minutes looking for anything, which could be of some importance. But it's difficult searching for something when you have no idea what you're looking for.

Steve sat back on his heels and sighed, shaking his head. The place seemed to turn up empty. He was in Daryl Passer's bedroom. Jesse's room had revealed nothing but the usual things like clothes and other personal necessities. Daryl's room had a little bit more apart from the substantial amount of medicine he held in the many drawers. There didn't seem anything else that could identify him. Steve wondered who he really was. As he was about to get up, his foot kicked something underneath the bed. Curious, he bent down to retrieve a show box lightly covered over. He took the top off and widened his eyes in surprise. "Dad! Amanda!" he called. "Maybe you should come in here."

Mark and Amanda came in almost immediately and looked at the contents that Steve had spilled out on the floor. "Where did you find it?" Mark asked.

"Under the bed."

"You didn't check under the bed first?" Amanda asked skeptically.

"Well, you'd think that if someone wanted to hide something they wouldn't put it in an obvious place," Steve said, giving her a sidelong glance. "I don't quite know what Daryl Passer was hiding but all this sure looks interesting." He picked up one of the newspaper clippings. _Newly Founded lawyer, Daryl Passer, becomes Defense for the Whitney Ives Case. _The picture in the small clipping showed a man walking down the stairs of a court with a woman beside him. Their heads were down so the cameras couldn't see them.

"Hey, look at the date," Amanda said pointing. "It's October 1997. That's last year. It's from Nevada." Steve nodded slowly and put the article aside. The next lot show some progresses from the case. It seemed that Daryl Passer was a new professional lawyer, doing what seemed like the big case of Nevada that year. He seemed to be doing pretty well for himself. It seemed that he'd won some of his cases.

Steve took out another clipping after going through half a dozen. _Daryl Passer uncovers new evidence in front of the court-------Is Daryl Passer becoming the police as well as the lawyer?--------Daryl Passer's findings may be enough to bury him--------_Then Steve saw it-------_Attempts made on Daryl Passer's life._

Mark skim read the article. _Daryl Passer, who has been working for at least two months on the Whitney Ives case, may find this is his last case. Police comments had said that attempts have been made on the young lawyer's life. There have been shootings in his house, bombings in his car and attempted assassinations. Daryl Passer—better known as Day—found important evidence in the trial against Marcus Lavoy who was being accused of killing and using his girlfriend, Whitney Ives. It seems that Marcus Lavoy will do anything to keep himself out of jail even if that meant killing Day Passer._

Yet another article—_Trial against Marcus Lavoy—Maybe Day Passer isn't such a great lawyer as he thought. With the sudden attempts on his life, his case has been dropped and Marcus Lavoy is left to go free of charge. But Day Passer seems to have disappeared from sight. Sources claim that he has gone into the custody of the Witness Protection for some strange reason. _

"Look at the date on that one: January this year. If Passer was in witness protection then what was Jesse dong with them?" Amanda asked.

"We've cleared something else up as well," Mark said. "_Day _Passer. Jesse wasn't talking about day as in night-and-day. He was talking about what Daryl was formerly known as. Jesse was doing something with Day here."

"Do you suppose this guy Marcus Lavoy has something to do with it?" Amanda asked.

Steve nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised." He picked up a tape from the bottom of the box. "I'm going to see what I can pick up on about Marcus Lavoy. This should prove to be very interesting as well. We'll have a listen to that later."

Amanda, Steve and Mark stood up. "At least we're somewhat closer."

__

Community General Hospital—6.27pm

Mark rubbed his eyes. His shift was ended, but not that he'd done anything special about them. There seemed hardly any patients to treat but the ones he did, he was distracted from. Mark knew he had to find something to distract himself from Jesse's condition. Every time he passed his room, he couldn't help but peeking in. Jesse hadn't moved from his position, his head slightly to the side and still asleep. The bruising and stitched up cuts on his face reminded him of what happened to him. He shook his head and walked away. 

It was as he passed the lobby that he bumped into Norman again. Once again, the shorter man looked agitated. He hung around Mark until the doctor turned round and said, "What's wrong now, Norman."

Norman shook his head. "Steve was wrong, Mark. The nightmare is coming true. I had one of the senior nurses: she had the flu today and won't be coming back for another six weeks. Oh, God, they really are coming true."

Mark smiled and spread his hands. "I'm here. Amanda's still here."

Norman still looked worried. "You are now…But for how long…?" Worrying even more, he went off in his own direction. Mark opened the clipboard and looked through it carefully at the reception desk. He didn't seem a slender tall woman walk up to the reception. She was well dressed in a long coat from the cold that was outside. It was already growing dark outside and a strong wind was growing. She put her hands on the counter and got the receptionists attention.

"Um…hi, I'm looking for a Doctor Mark Sloan. I was told he worked here."

Mark turned round and nodded to the receptionist. "I'm Dr Sloan," he said, holding out his hand.

She took it. "Oh, coincidence. I'm Haley Johnson. Steve Sloan came to speak to me today. He said that if I asked for you, you'd be able to show me where Jesse was." Remembering his son's words to be careful around Haley Johnson, he simply smiled. Haley didn't look threatening or deceiving at all. Looking at her closely, Mark could see the traces of red around her eyes. She looked as though she had been crying all afternoon and Mark knew she surely couldn't have put on that.

Mark smiled. "Of course. You're Jesse's girlfriend, aren't you."

Haley nodded and followed Dr Mark Sloan towards the corridors. She personally thought he was a nice man. She followed him down the passageways towards ICU and opened the door for her.

She stopped dead when she saw Jesse. To Mark, he was just the same as he had been half an hour ago. Haley's mouth dropped opened and Mark could have sworn she was about to break down in tears again. "Oh, Jesse," she said, running forward, She was careful not to touch any of the wires on Jesse. She looked at him from close up, at his face and at all the connections to his body. "Is…is all this necessary?" she asked.

Mark shrugged. "Technically yes. He needs an IV for his dehydration. Don't worry, it's all standard procedure. As soon as he gets better, they'll be taken away."

Haley turned round to face Mark. _"Will _he get better?"

Mark sighed. He didn't know whether it was good to lie for her own benefit. He had never lied before in his life and suddenly thought that she might see through him. "Truth is, Haley, we don't really know. We have to see how he goes along."

Haley nodded and put her hand on Jesse's forehead, brushing a few strands of his blond hair. Jesse didn't stir. "You know, you don't really know love is until you're this close to losing it or already have."

"I know what you mean," Mark said quietly. Haley raised her eyebrows in surprise. "My wife, she died of cancer—some time ago now. But I took every day for granted as if we had the rest of our lives and nothing was going to go wrong. And now that I have lost her, I wish I'd made the most of it." Mark sighed, reliving the memory for a brief moment. He destroyed it suddenly. "But anyway…"

Haley smiled and looked back down at Jesse. "I made a mess of my last relationship. I thought Jesse would be able to pull me out of that and I could carry on with him. Strange isn't it. I really like Jesse."

Mark smiled. He liked Haley. "A lot of people like Jesse," he said. "You were lucky." His pager began to beep and he stopped it. "I'll leave you two. Just don't touch anything, all right, Haley?" Haley nodded but she barely heard. Mark ran out of the ICU room and towards the pathology labs where Amanda had called him. She seemed to think it was somewhat urgent.

Haley took up a small chair by the side of Jesse and sat down. She took his hand and tried not to cry again. She _had _been crying all afternoon, especially after Carlos had left. In her sudden anger, she picked up all the pictures on that mantelpiece and smashed them all apart from the ones with Jesse. Then, she picked them up and tore them before she regretted what she had done and swept all the glass away. Finally, after all the adrenaline had gone, she sank down on the sofa and began to cry. She couldn't believe that she had gone along with Marcus's plan at first. It seemed so easy. So easy…and yet the more time she spent with Jesse, the more she found she loved him.

Haley remembered all the times she had been teased lightly because she was blond, beautiful and got anyone she wanted. She wanted Marcus at first but then came Jesse. Haley was scared that Jesse would become like all the other boyfriends that came around—would she have got bored of Jesse. But after two months of working for Marcus and being with Jesse, she knew she liked him. It was a different relationship to Marcus'. Then came two nights ago. Unwilling, she passed all the information along and got Jesse into trouble.

She leaned forward, holding Jesse's hand. She leant close to Jesse's hear. "Hey, Jess. It's Haley." She paused not quite knowing what to say. "I know you hate me, Jesse. You have every right to hate me. I hate myself as well. You don't know how guilty I feel about what I've done. But I was scared, Jess. You couldn't imagine how it was. They were going to kill me but I had no idea that he would have done this to you." Another tear slipped down her cheek and she intertwined her fingers with Jesse's. "If I had known, I would have stopped before but then it was too late. If I had said anything they would have shot both of us."

Haley took a shuddered breath and looked back at Jesse. "You know that if there was anything I could do to stop you from ever hurting, I would. You remembered me talking to you in the warehouse when we were alone. I know you're mad at me…I know you are, Jesse, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything. I almost wish I hadn't met you and then this whole mess wouldn't have happened. It should never have happened to you anyway. You're innocent of this and I just dragged you even deeper. When all this is over, I'm going to leave and never come back. You can carry on and you'll forget about me and you'll probably be glad."

Haley closed her eyes once and wiped them with her finger. "But either way, Jess, I love you. I will always love you." She leaned closer to Jesse and kissed him lightly just to let him know. "Wake up, Jess. Everyone is worried. Me and all your friends here…"

Mark had left Haley to Jesse. He wasn't particularly worried now. Despite Steve's warning that she could be a potential threat, he believed that she wouldn't do anything to Jesse. Her attitude seemed real enough and Mark had always been a good judge of character. He left Haley and then ran to the pathology labs. Amanda beeped him another time along the way and by the time he got there, he was practically out of breath. Amanda was wearing her blue uniform and blood was splattered down it. She was just about to page Mark again. In front of her was a body, dead white and lifeless, as usual.

"Mark!" she said.

"Amanda," Mark said in confusion. "What's wrong? Anyone would have thought you were dying in here with the amount of times you were paging me."

Amanda put down her pager and smiled. "Sorry, Mark, it's just that this was a little urgent and I thought I'd might like to tell you. You know that body which LAPD picked up today, the one that Steve's captain wanted him to do the case on?" Mark nodded, remembering what Steve had told them that morning. "Well, I just did this autopsy and I found some very strange things which match up with the chemicals inside his body. I've worked out who he is by barely leaving the room."

Mark shrugged. "So, who is?"

Amanda let out a sigh. "I think this is Day Passer."

Mark looked at her in shock and then down at the body. "How can you be sure?" He simply couldn't believe that! Had Amanda really worked out who Day Passer was and that he was dead in front of them on the table. Mark was still recovering from the shock when Amanda started speaking again. Things were happening so fast.

"Well for one, he had diabetes. His blood sugar was too low and he drank a bit. There was insulin at Day's house, which I have here. Secondly, there were paracetamols and stress relievers in Jesse's apartment which I have also found traces of in his body. And thirdly…"

Mark held up his hands. "All right, I believe you." He looked down at the body. "He does look like the man in the photographs."

"Male, twenty eight, light brown hair…most of it matches up. I couldn't get any blood samples or dental records."

"Well, they would have erased that if he was in the witness protection program." Mark sighed and put a hand on the table behind him. "That means that everything is slowly falling apart. Jesse, who he was staying with, is in serious condition. The case or protection that Day Passer was up against has suddenly blown up in smoke."


	7. The Love & Truth

****

CURIOSITY PART VII

__

Community General Hospital—6.43pm

Jesse could swear he was hearing Haley's voice. It sounded so much like her. He could feel her touching him. But Jesse couldn't respond. He couldn't move or wake up or get out of the fog that threatened to drag him away all the time. Jesse tried so hard to pull himself out but it was so much hard work. He could hear Jesse's voice. He had heard Mark's voice earlier. When was it? A few hours ago? A few days? Weeks? Jesse didn't know. He wanted to get out. He was confused. And all the time there was Haley's voice echoing in his ears. He didn't know whether to be happy about that or worried.

Jesse remembered her touch. He remembered when she touched his cheek down in his prison cell as he called it. She was talking about it. _You remembered me talking to you in the warehouse when we were alone. _Jesse did remember.

He had just about recovered from Marcus's electric torture. His breath still came out in rasps but he had just about stopped shivering. He was cold though, sitting in just his short sleeved shirt and hospital gown. He was in an uncomfortable position and he had stopped crying a while back. Jesse had forced himself to stop and think about the hopeless situation. He stopped thinking that his tired feeling at the hospital was the last time he'd ever see Mark, Steve and Amanda again. He'd never work as an intern with the job he loved and the people he loved. Jesse had felt as though his life was suddenly disappearing and that was what made Jesse cry. But now, after his painful experience with the electrocution, he had calmed down and come to terms with it. He was willing to fight to the end.

As he sat thinking, shuffling his numb feet that were still tied and hands that were tied to the piping, the door opened. He prayed to God quickly that it wasn't Marcus. He prayed to be spared for a small time until he had recovered and thought of something. He knew it wouldn't be until tomorrow that they noticed him missing and by then it would be too late. Marcus knew that in the morning people would come looking for him and maybe piece things out. Mark could piece anything out. They had to 'dispose' of him before anyone could find out.

So Jesse prayed and closed his eyes, putting his forehead on his knees and clenched his fists. He expected to hear no sound but that device press into his arm again and the hell start. But that didn't happen. There was the sound of clicking on the cement floor. Someone knelt by Jesse and he closed his eyes, scared as he could ever remember, on the edge of his nerves. Someone put their hands on his shoulder. And then all he could register was the faint feel of someone kissing him on the neck.

Suddenly, he had a horrid thought. Driving away, he sighed partially with relief when he saw it was Haley. But there was still an angered feel inside of him. He couldn't believe the cheek of it. Even in the last few hours she was still trying to scrape a kiss.

_"Why don't you run back to Marcus," _Jesse said. "_You'd get more love out of him." _Jesse couldn't believe he said that.

Haley retreated back like she was frightened. Her eyes widened. "_What?"_

"You heard me!" Jesse shouted struggling. "_Go to Marcus. He loves you more than I do. And it's far obvious that you love him more than me. You've used me as your little scapegoat for long enough. Don't think you can get any more out of me." _Jesse was left breathless after that outburst. The torture had drained him.

Haley came back. "_I love you, Jesse. I love you more than Marcus."_

Jesse looked up at her and shook some of the hair that strayed into his eyes. He narrowed his eyes. "_If you loved me more than Marcus you would untie me and help me out of here." _Jesse knew it was a fruitless plea. 

Haley's eyes widened in shock. "_If there was anyway I could get you out of here I would but it's just that it's Marcus. He'll kill me, Jess, and then he'll kill you. He doesn't care who gets hurt." _She sat down beside Jesse but didn't look at him. "_I'm scared, Jesse. When I first met him he was so nice to me and treated me great. Now I know what he's doing, what he's done and what he plans to do, I'm scared. He's not afraid of hurting anyone, not even me."_

Jesse let out a long breath. "_Then help me get out. I could talk to my friend, Steve. He's a cop. He'll help you. He'll give you protective custody."_

Haley sighed. "_A lot of good that did Day Passer."_

Jesse sighed. His argument was getting him nowhere. "_Please help me, Haley. I could help you as well. Why are you letting him take over your life like this? You could just stay with me instead and we could get rid of Marcus."_

Haley looked up at him. "_So do you believe that I still love you."_

Jesse shrugged and looked up at her. She saw hope in her eyes but what he also was something that he had seen no amount of in someone else's eyes. There was definite fear through the hope. Jesse knew she was scared witless and that she was too scared to even do anything for herself. He nodded slowly, looked into her sapphire blue eyes. Even in the darkness of the small box room they seemed to lighten up. "_Yes I do."_ He closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall oft the room.

Haley leaned forward and made him look at her. _"Good, then you'd know that I would do anything to help you if it didn't mean risking both of our lives. If we went then you'd know he'd come after us and there are people everywhere."_

Jesse nodded. "_Yeah, I know." _ He leaned forward to kiss her and she kissed back. He missed kissing her for so long even though it had only been the day before last that he'd seen her. She put her hands on his shoulders and kissed even harder. Jesse thought he'd finally felt better that day. He didn't think things were looking up but he still had Haley…not that she had proven it yet. Jesse hoped that he could spark something off so that Haley would help him get out of this situation. He felt her hands move down and undo several buttons on his shirt. "_Haley!"_ he whispered. "_Now isn't the time or the place."_

Haley looked down. "_I know, I'm sorry."_

Jesse sighed and shook his head, feeling guilty for the way he'd snapped at her. "_No, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's just…I'm scared too. I'm scared that I'll never see you again and we'll never have the chance to do that again."_

Haley nodded. "_I know." _

The door suddenly opened and Carlos stepped in. He laughed for a second at the scene on the ground and Jesse's shirt half undone. "_Looks like you two love birds have got practically everything you need." _He leant down towards Haley. "_You got him right where you want him, you know." _He winked.

Haley stood up and slapped Carlos across the face. "_Grow up." _ With that she left the room with Carlos laughing behind leaving Jesse alone again in the darkness.

__

Sloan's Beach House—Next Day—9.29am

Mark sat back in one of the deck chairs in house. He and Amanda had decided to take a little time off so they could try and find out Jesse's attacker more carefully. Steve was supposed to come in a minute. Mark sighed and looked at the autopsy report of Day Passer. "Poor guy," he said miserably. "I wonder how long he was staying with Jesse and if they got along at all."

Amanda shrugged. "We'll soon find out. Either way we're not here to help Day Passer anymore. No one can help him. We're trying to help Jesse by finding this guy and if Jesse—" She stopped and corrected herself. "_When _Jesse wakes up, he may be able to tell us more." Amanda picked up another newspaper clipping and read through them all again. Despite what she had said, she was fascinated about the story of Day Passer. She wanted to know more about him.

She was still reading when Steve arrived and walked up the stairs. "Boy, you won't believe how much stuff you can dig up about this guy and what is on that tape." He put down a tape recorder with the tape they found at Jesse's apartment inside. Then he sat down beside Amanda and opened his file. "A very interesting man this Marcus Lavoy. I thought I recognized his name. He owns some part of LA. One of the biggest crime lords in California." Mark raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Originally, he was set to have split from the mob and started his own business. He's one hell of a rich guy and gets practically everything he wants."

"Sounds like a regular kingpin," Mark said.

Steve nodded. "No kidding. Any opposition, he gets rid of, any threat, he gets rid of, any curious girlfriend…he gets rid of."

"Whitney Ives," Mark suddenly said.

Steve nodded. "I went against the captain's orders to get all this stuff. Whitney Ives was Marcus's girlfriend. Last year around August, Lavoy was doing some heavy drug shipments. And anyone who got in the way was killed off. Whitney Ives saw the murder of a normal man working at the docks. When Marcus found and she ran off, he tried a few hits on her. When police finally got evidence on him, they got Whitney Ives as their star witness. The defendant was none other than Day Passer. The case notes go on like that in the newspaper clippings. We know that Day Passer went missing, what happened to Whitney Ives, we don't know."

"But Marcus Lavoy is up here now trying to find Day Passer. Day Passer did something to make Marcus want him and put him in the witness protection program. Marcus found out somehow he was at Jesse's and got him and tortured him that night to find out where Day was." Mark sighed. "They got to Day then."

Amanda gasped. "Torture?" she asked in disbelief.

Mark nodded. "Pete pulled me aside and filled me in on a few details. There were strange burn marks on Jesse's arms. The skin had peeled off. Now, we don't think it was burning because there are two puncture marks there which show electrical torture." Amanda's mouth opened in shock but she didn't do anything. Steve remained silent. "Then there was such a beating that would have been almost too much. After all this, he probably gave in and told him where Day was."

Steve nodded. "And I think I know who told Marcus about Jesse and Day. It was Marcus' latest girlfriend." 

Mark was about to ask who, when Amanda suddenly said, "Haley."

Steve raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It has to be," Amanda said. "Maybe it's in your files but don't you remember when we were talking to Haley yesterday after I asked her about the photos on her mantelpiece. She mentioned him being in Nevada and we know that Nevada was where this case was set." Steve thought back to yesterday.

-----------------

_"You have pictures of your ex-boyfriend here?" Amanda asked surprised._

Haley smiled and sniffed. "Maybe some love never dies. Jesse says it's not a problem as long as he's somewhere there."

Amanda laughed and put the photo down. "Sounds like Jesse."

Haley turned around. "Anyway, he's long gone now. Last time I knew, he was in Nevada or somewhere like that."

----------------

Steve nodded. "You're right Amanda in that sense. It is Haley." He handed the file over to his father and Amanda. "Recognize the guy?"

Amanda nodded. "This was the ex-boyfriend on Haley's mantelpiece." Steve nodded. Amanda suddenly felt sick and put the file down. "That means that Haley was lying to Jesse all along. She just tried to make herself get close to him so that he could find out about Day and the whole operation. She used him and then sold him off to Marcus when all the information was collected."

Mark frowned and put a hand to his chin. "I'm not so sure it was totally like that." The others looked at him. "I mean, in a sense that how she felt about it. I really think she felt something for Jesse. When she came to the hospital yesterday, she spoke very passionately about how she felt for Jesse. I really think she loved Jesse and was guilty about what she'd done. She was crying when she left the hospital, I saw it myself."

Steve shut the file. "She has a professional mobster as a boyfriend, dad. She can act out anything she wants. I'm going back to talk to her later." He pulled the tape recorder towards him. "This was Day Passer's. He kept records of practically all important conversations he had. There are ones with him and Jesse, one with Anders and other little things. Here have a listen at some of them." He rewound the tape quickly and turned it on. There was a few seconds delay as the starting tape ran and then voices were heard across the speakers of the recorder.

_"Jesse, Day, how's it going for you," _a strange man's voice asked.

_"Great thanks," _said someone else who they presumed was Day.

Jesse's familiar laugh came across. "_Yeah, it's like having a roommate and I haven't had one of them since collage."_

There was the sound of indignant hurt. "_I hope you won't treat me like that."_

"Like what?" Jesse asked.

_Some roommate you can toss around."_ Both of them laughed.

"_Excuse me, gentleman, when you have finished you jibing, I would like to give you some warnings. This is equally dangerous for both of you. Jesse, it's your responsibility to lookout for Day. Anyone hanging around, any strange accidents, you call me all right? Whatever you do, don't call from Jesse's phone. Call from a mobile or payphone."_

"Yeah, sure, Anders," Day's voice said lightly.

The other voice sighed. "_Day, I know this is laboriously boring for you now after nine months. But still keep a lookout."_

"Don't worry, Anders, Jesse will look after me," Day said and they laughed.

"_And Jesse," _Anders said, "_I know you really didn't want to do this because you have a lot of commitments but I appreciate it. It's not often we can find someone like you to help us."_

Jesse sighed. "_Yeah, well, I'm in it now. Besides, we may have some fun."_

The conversation stopped there.

There was another short one after that. _"Hey, Day," _Jesse's voice ran through. "_You okay?"_

"Yer, just fine," Day said. 

"_Are you raiding my fridge again."_

"Hey, I haven't got anywhere to go so I gotta eat something." Jesse sighed. "_So, how's work at the hospital."_

"Same as usual. I gotta check on a patient in a second. Just calling to make sure my apartment is till intact."

"What from hitmen?"

"No, from you," Jesse answered teasingly and Day laughed.

"_Hey, Jesse, you gonna be back early. There's a game on tonight."_

"Maybe. Just gotta see how my shift turns out and if no causalities come in."1"Cool."

The next one. _"Hi, Jesse, that you?"_

"Yeah, what brings you to call me at---nine at night, Anders?"

"Checking up. That is my job you know. Nothing strange happening."

Jesse laughed down the other end of the phone. There was the sound of something boiling. It seemed Jesse was doing two things at once. _"Err…nope. Everything is running like clockwork here. No strange calls and so far, no bullets in my apartment."_

"Not amusing Jesse."

"I know, I'm just trying to calm myself."

"Is Day there."

"I'm here, Anders, don't worry. I'm still alive." Jesse and Day laughed.

_"Well, it seems that you two appear to be getting on fine. Day finally found someone he got along with. I'll leave you to your cooking, Jess."_

"Yeah, bye."

The last one Steve decided to play. "_Anders_!" Day practically screamed down the phone.

There was a silence. "_Day, is that you_?" Anders got angry. "_I told you not to call me in case it was an emergency. Are you calling from Jesse's house?"_

_"Yes."_

"Damnit, Day, I told you not to call from his house. It could lead both of you into danger. Do you not pay attention to anything I say."

"This is an emergency, Anders, and it could mean both of our safety. Someone broke into Jesse's apartment. His room is trashed and there's this strong smell in the room."

"Well, maybe someone raided his apartment," Anders suggested.

_"No!" _Day cried. _"It's worse than that. Jesse would have come back home by now, I know it. He doesn't work past one in the morning so he would have been here. They've got him, Anders, I know it. Oh God, they're gonna hurt him, Anders, they're gonna hurt him bad."_

_"Now, Day, what's important is your safety_…"

_"And what about Jesse's!" _Day screamed down the phone. _"You got him mixed up in this without a choice. Now he's in trouble and he doesn't matter."_

"No, that's not what I'm saying, Day. What are the chances that Jesse's got? Remember the other three? We wouldn't have time to find Jesse before something happened. The best thing to do is to get you out of there. I'm going to send someone over to pick you up right now."

"Okay but make it…" Day cut off.

_"Day!" _Anders shouted, but there was no answer. _"Day, talk to me, God Damnit!" _Still, Day didn't say anything.

To Steve, Mark and Amanda, Anders was now talking to someone else. _"Where's Jesse?" _he demanded quietly.

_"In a place of happiness," _the man said.

_"You mother—"_

"Don't even try it, Passer. I've got you right in my sights. I could shoot you right now but that would suck the fun out of it. You want to know what I've done to your little friend? Yes, we got him and yes, we got the answers out of him. It took some time and some roughing up but we got there. He said you'd be back later tonight to the apartment."

"You can let him go now."

"I'm afraid it's a little too late for that. You see, the damage has already been done. We had to do it all tonight otherwise we wouldn't get paid so the hard part had to be done tonight. A seven-day torture was done in less than a few hours. As you can imagine, it wouldn't have been really pretty…"

Anders screaming at him down the phone but Day paid no attention. _"I hope you rot in hell," _he whispered.

_"You'll go there first, though."_

The conversations ended with the sound of a shot, which made them all flinch. The tape clicked itself off and Amanda took a deep breath. "That's the last phone call Day made. It must have happened on the night Jesse was kidnapped." Mark shook his head and Amanda and Steve looked at him. Mark seemed very deep in thought about something. "Mark, what's wrong?"

Mark sighed and took his hand away from his forehead. "I was just thinking. This Day Passer fella seemed like a very nice bloke. From the conversations, he and Jesse seemed to get along really well. It was just like one big ball to them. They were both concerned about each others safety. It was as though they were real roommates." Amanda and Mark nodded. "When Jesse wakes up he's going to be heartbroken over Day's death." He glanced at the tape, hoping that he'd never have to let Jesse hear that.


	8. The Emotion

****

CURIOSITY PART VIII

__

Haley Johnson's House—11.03am

Steve pulled up the car with Amanda and Mark outside Haley's Johnson's house. Mark had seen how his son had been burning to talk to her ever since that piece of information he'd found on her. Mark was still unconvinced of her attitude and Steve's assumption that she had done it smugly against Jesse. He walked up to the door and knocked on it. Once again, there was no answer. Beginning to get tired, Steve rapped on the door yet again. "Haley Johnson. Open up!" There seemed to be no movement in the house. Looking at his father and Amanda, he took hold on the door handle and was surprised to find it open. Carefully, he pushed the door back and stepped inside. "Miss Johnson?" he called again.

"Yeah, what do you want?" someone cried.

Steve, Mark and Amanda walked into the living room from the previous day. Haley was spread out on the couch, lying on her side casually. In her hand was a glass of clear liquid and beside her on the table were a box of tissues and a quarter of a bottle of Vodka. Haley herself looked a mess. Her eyes were red from either crying or exhaustion and the drinking wasn't helping her.

"We're here to ask you some questions," Steve said.

"What, again?" Haley looked around at all three of them and then her eyes settled on her Mark. "Dr Sloan, I…" She struggled to get up but found it too tiring and sat back again. Finally, she pulled herself up and set the glass down. "Go on, detective Sloan. Ask away."

"It's about your boyfriend—Marcus Lavoy."

Haley looked around at Steve with surprise. Then she turned round. "Don't even mention that bastards name to me," she hissed and took another long drink from her Vodka. She put it down and took a few deep breaths. "So, you found out about me and Marcus. I was sure someone would eventually. Wherever he goes, my name follows." She looked at them. "What else do you know."

"We know," Steve said, "that Marcus made you get close to Jesse so you could find out where Day Passer was. As soon you worked out all the information you passed it onto Marcus. Marcus had Jesse kidnapped and then they tortured him to tell them were Day was. You sold Jesse out."

Haley sank down on the sofa. To them it sounded like she was laughing but when she took her hands away she was crying. "You got a skeleton of an idea, Detective Sloan," Haley said. "You had no idea about the in between. It always looked that way. It looked that way to me. I don't remember crying so much in my life. Every time I see Jesse there it rips me up. It gets my confidence up one more to go and tell the police everything. I can't stand him looking like that and what makes it worse is that half of it is my fault." She looked up at Steve. "Yes, I sold Jesse out but do you have any idea how it made me feel? Huh, do you? It made me feel like trash. I had been used by Marcus and then I did the same to Jesse." She cried again and Amanda sat next to her, hugging her comfortingly. Suddenly, her feelings about the woman had changed.

Mark looked at Steve and gave him an 'I told you so' look. Rolling his eyes at his father's inner feelings again, he realized he had to give in. He sat in the chair opposite Haley and Amanda. "Haley, can you tell us from your point of view, then, what the whole business was about." Steve waited for an answer from her.

Haley nodded and then lifted her head. Even when crying, she still looked pretty. "Well, I was Marcus's girlfriend. I met him in Nevada shortly after the Whitney Ives case was dismissed because of Day Passer's disappearance. He was nice at first and then we came to LA. I asked what this was all about and he said he had a business problem to sort out and that I needed to help him. I was made to get as close as possible to Dr Jesse Travis." She smiled as if it was a bad memory. "I remember how we met as well. I was cutting in the kitchen and I sliced a whole section of my finger off." She showed them were the scars remained. "Jesse was the one treating me and before I knew it, we were phoning each other, going out for dinner and going to each other's house."

Steve, Mark and Amanda listened patiently to what she had to say. She stopped for a moment. Amanda got her a tissue and she took it gratefully. Wiping her eyes, she continued. "Marcus wanted me to find out information. We didn't know at first they he was actually looking after Day. We just thought he was some sort of contact. But…slowly…I gained Jesse's trust. He told me. He told me that Day Passer was with him and that he had been appointed by someone called Anders to do this with him." Haley sighed. "Then…then I passed it onto Marcus. But it was during those two months—I—I fell in love with Jesse. I really did no matter what everyone thinks. He's different. I know that sounds like a cliché but it was different to Marcus. He treated me better than Marcus ever did."

Steve listened and even he was beginning to believe her. "What then?"

"Well, Marcus told me three days ago that he was planning to ask Jesse some questions. I told him—demanded—that he wouldn't hurt Jesse and he promised. Then I come in two nights ago and all I see is them doing all those things to Jesse and I got mad. But I didn't do anything." Haley shook her head as if she regretted that.

"When all this was happening to Jesse, were you ever left to do what you want?" Steve asked.

"I was left alone, yes," Haley said. "Marcus did give me freedom if nothing else. I was with him by myself once. The rest of the time Jesse was either with Marcus or that disgusting sidekick of his, Carlos."

"And it didn't once occur to you to come to the police?" Steve asked. Haley didn't answer. "You know, if you'd come to the police and saved Jesse all that pain. He wouldn't be in there half dying." Steve's voice started to rise.

"Jesse would not only be the only one killed!" Haley suddenly shouted. "Marcus would kill me. Literally. He warned me as I walked out, that if I told anyone, he would come and get me and kill me personally just like he killed his other girlfriends. Jesse said that if I helped him, that protection would be given. But you don't understand. When Marcus Lavoy snaps his fingers, someone dies no matter what. A year of being with him has told me this."

Mark nodded understandingly. He could see that the girl was scared and understood why she had not done anything at the time.

"Anything else you'd like to tell us?" Steve asked quietly.

Haley shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

"Where were they holding Jesse when all this was going on."

"Fredric Storage Warehouse," Haley answered. "You go inside and the main warehouse is there. If you take the door marked private you come to a set of doors. The room 203 was where they were holding Jesse during it all. As far as I know, everything has been left behind since they left and dumped Jesse in the alley next to it." Steve silently cursed himself for not thinking of going in to the warehouse. It seemed like the perfect place for someone to be kept.

"Haley, you've been a lot of help," Steve said. "Don't worry, everything is going to be all right. I'm going to personally make sure Marcus or anyone of his people won't get to you."

Haley laughed bitterly. "I've given up on that. He'll get me. And even thought I know he'll be coming after me, Dr Sloan, can you promise me you'll help Jesse get better and make sure he does."

"Well…I," Mark started.

"Please?"

This time Mark lied. "I'll make sure he gets better."

__

Community General Hospital—12.34pm

Mark walked to his next shift at the hospital. He bumped into Norman. "Oh, Mark, thank God you're back. I was about to call the police."

Mark frowned. "Why?"

"I had another nightmare last night." Norman leant in closer to the doctor. "I dreamt someone killed you. Some very large guy—expensive business suit and mean looking eyes pointed a gun at your face and shot you. He left you out in an alley to die. Oh god, exactly like Jesse."

Mark rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Norman, no one got to me." He walked off.

Amanda's shift didn't start until another few hours. She was supposed to work in the morning but had left it someone else. This wasn't usually Amanda's attitude to her job. Usually she was prompt and ready to start doing what she had to. But even on those occasions a fine line had to be drawn and this was one of those lines. If Amanda had a choice of finding the attacker of one of her friends and checking and unknown body she knew who came first. There could be excuses into the prolonging the time taken to examine a body. There was no excuse for such a person who would attack someone like this to walk free. Not even mercy should be shown to this man but Amanda knew this was her anger coming through and she tried to get a hold of it.

Steve had told them to return back to the hospital. This Captain said he could take a few squads to search what remained of Fredric's Storage Warehouse and if there was any trace of where they could find Lavoy. Amanda wondered if they caught Lavoy, would Haley be prepared to testify. She looked as scared as hell. Only Jesse could testify. Amanda was thinking so hard she thought her mind was going to explode.

Now, though, sitting in Jesse's room, Amanda could finally let everything go. She felt better when she sat with Jesse; as though when she was with him that it made everything all right. All the turmoil seemed to evaporate. But with that, every time Amanda looked at Jesse, she felt herself drain out even more. She wanted to cry and release all the energy she had since Jesse's had arrived in with his condition. Amanda took Jesse's hand as so many people had. "Hey, Jesse, you're holding up great. You've done nothing horrific in the last twenty-four hours. You scared the hell out of me when you started coughing up blood and convulsing like that." Amanda absently stroked Jesse's hand lightly. "Just met me know that you're still there. I miss you, Jesse, we all do. Mark, Steve and I have been trying hard to find who did this to you. We know who it is and we're this close to catching him." She now clamped Jesse hand with both of hers. "Wake up, Jesse, and tell us all the details."

A tear slipped down her cheek. "I wish you'd give me some sort of sign, Jesse. Just to let me know you're still there and you're not slipping away." She smiled beside. "I wouldn't have exactly called us item material but I do care about you. You're like a little brother—annoying sometimes—but I don't know what I'd do without you." Unable to help herself she too started to cry. It seemed nearly everyone was affected by Jesse's attack. She held tightly onto Jesse's hand not sure what to expect—a miracle? A real sign? But none came and Amanda shook her head, a sob escaping her.

She didn't see someone peeking through the door or hear them come into the room. All she felt was someone put their arms around her and she accepted, holding onto Steve and crying outwardly. Amanda didn't care how she looked or how she felt at the time in front of her. She didn't mind in front of Steve because he was a good friend. Amanda couldn't stop it now.

"It's okay, Amanda," Steve said, trying to comfort her.

Amanda shook her head. "No, it's not okay, Steve. Jesse's dying…"

"No, he's not," Steve said as defiantly as he could.

Amanda let out a shuddered sigh and let go. Her eyes were glistening with tears and she seemed angry. "Yes, he is Steve. You said so yourself! Norman said it. Pete told Mark and he's the one treating Jesse." She buried her hands in her face and ran them through her hair. "I don't know how anyone could survive such injuries. I should have guessed. When he didn't turn up for work I should have gone there sooner."

"That wouldn't have changed anything," Steve said.

Amanda slumped in defeat, knowing that Steve was right. She put a hand on her forehead and spun round to look at Jesse again. "It's just that…I can't help feeling—well helpless. I wish there were something I could just do to help him. I hate just sitting back and watching him like this."

"But Amanda, you…"

"I'm a Doctor!"

"You're a medical examiner!" Steve said back. He silently kicked himself for snapped back. More gently, he said, "Pete knows what he's doing. He's helping Jesse. At the moment, the best way we can help Jesse is by catching this Marcus guy. It will make us all feel better and Jesse too when he wakes up."

Amanda nodded and held out her hands. "I know, I know," she said solidly and sat down on the chair. She was on the verge of tears. "That's what I've been trying to tell myself." She looked down and then up at Steve. "I remember something like this. You know…when you were shot Steve because of that Gonza thing—this is how it felt. It really hurt. You feel helpless, worried, constantly ill and desperation. Your father was worse. You, Mark and Jesse are the three people I care about most. When one of your gets hurt, I do too. As soon as you moved, Steve, we knew you should be all right. But you took a shorter amount of time to wake up and you were shot." Amanda looked at Jesse again. "Now I'm not so sure."

On the other side of the hospital, Mark was just coming out of one of the rooms when he bumped into Pete Taylor. "Mark! I was just coming to look for you." He held up a file. "I have a report which came back from the lab only an hour ago. We took Jesse in for a scan whilst you were out to see a more clearer x-ray." He brought Mark into an examining room and put a few x-rays up behind the blinding white light. "Now, we found technically nothing wrong with Jesse. No head fractures of damages, everything is fine including the internal bleeding into the appendix, which we cleaned up. Outside wounds will heal in time…"

"Pete!" Mark said holding up his hands. "I know you didn't bring me in here to tell me some good news."

Pete tapped a pencil on his fingernail for a few seconds. He swallowed. "We're not totally sure yet. It's not something that usually happens but it does. Across the spine here, can you see that thin line which stretches out across three quarters of the way up the spine." Mark nodded. "We don't know what it is. I have spent the best part of an hour trying to figure out with my colleagues if that is a fracture, a slight crack from a punch—as there were bruising on his back…or whether…if…"

"If Jesse is paralyzed," Mark concluded, not believing this was happening. He put a hand up to his forehead.

Pete could see the strain in the older Doctor's face. "Mark—Doctor Sloan—I'm not positive about anything at the moment. There is a chance that it is not snapped and it's not paralization."

"And there is a chance that it is," Mark said sitting down on the bench. Shock was evident in his eyes as the realization hit him. Conclusions dotted up from everywhere. "Have you any idea what this will do to Jesse? His career? When he wakes up he'll be devastated. Everything he worked for at medical school and there will vanish." He ran his hands over his face and stared at the lino floor. "And us, what about us? How will we manage without him."

"All interns eventually leave," Pete said, trying to make it somewhat better.

"Yes, but not like this, Pete. I lost Jack a while back and I don't want to lose Jesse, not in this way." Mark looked up at Pete and Pete Taylor had never seen Mark Sloan look so desperate—not since his son had come in from a gunshot wound. "Is there any way—_any way—_possible we can tell if that is a snapped spine?"

Pete shrugged. "Only by operating and that's a waste and an unnecessary scar for Jesse if it's nothing."

Mark nodded. "So you suggest…" he let it hang.

"I suggest we wait and see _if _Jesse wakes up, what will happen then."

Mark sighed and then shook his head smiling slightly. "Do I treat all my patients in the same way you do?"

Pete smiled slightly embarrassed. "Sorry. Just telling the facts."

"Yeah, I know." Mark wandered out of the room slowly towards the main lobby. Steve came up to him, followed by Amanda. Looking at her briefly, Mark could tell she had been crying but didn't say anything. Father and son exchanged a look but no comment was made. "Steve, I thought you'd be longer at that warehouse than this? Did you find anything interesting."

Steve gave him a grim which suggested anything but that. Mark wondered how much bad news he'd be able to handle for one day. He decided he wouldn't tell Steve and Amanda the news he had heard from Pete a few minutes ago. There was no use in worrying them at the moment, especially with Amanda's eyes just beginning to dry. "Well," Steve said, "it seemed as thought the warehouse had been thoroughly cleared out. We found several pieces of useful things inside it though." He dragged them outside. "I managed to let Kyle James allow me to hang onto them for a few hours." He opened the trunk of the car and let them take a look for themselves. The pieces of evidence were all in the clear plastic bags but they could see enough.

Steve picked up the first one. "Ropes. Found in the room 203 where Jesse was being held. Sawn through with a knife of something like that due to the frayed edges. Must have been bound tightly—there's blood on them." Amanda grimaced as Steve threw them back in the trunk and picked up the second item. It was a small metallic box with plastic edging. He tossed it towards his father. "It looks like you were right all along, dad." Mark looked at the box with its settings and spokes coming up from the top. He looked as his son with his eyes wide. "Yeah, that's the electrocution device." He put that back as well. Then he took the last item. "One baseball bat." Steve pointed up the side. "Blood. There are only traces of it in the woodwork. There are just small thin lines going upwards as if someone had cleaned it by moving a cloth up and down. Got a crack all the way up it."

"That couldn't have been used on Jesse," Amanda said. "There wasn't enough bruising enough for that."

"No, but internal bleeding of the appendix maybe." Mark said quietly and then they were quiet until Steve said he'd take them down to forensics so they could work on it.


	9. The Missing Link

****

CURIOSITY PART IX

__

Community General Hospital—1.00pm

Jesse could barely hear a thing. All sounds seemed very muffled to him. Still, he wanted to move but he found it very hard. His body still refused to function and he was beginning to find this frustrating. Jesse thought he heard voices. They sounded far away and he couldn't understand what was being said. Jesse strained to hear but nothing came. But the voice sounded so familiar—someone who he knew well to recognize. A woman's voice—not Haley's; certainly not a nurses. There was a comforting touch on his hand and on his forehead…Amanda? It was her, Jesse was positive. Even though he couldn't understand the words, he could make out enough to know she was crying. Jesse felt even more anxious to get away from whatever was holding him back. He wanted to go back to his normal life with Steve, Mark and Amanda again.

_I miss you, Jesse, we all do, _he could just make out.

Jesse also wanted to pull out because he wanted to warn them. He wanted to warn them in case something happened. He owed it to them as their friend and to make himself feel better. It was bad enough Day might be hurt but to think the rest of his friends who he worked with day in day out to be hurt too? Jesse knew he couldn't live with it and every time he remembered Carlos' threat, a shiver ran down his spine.

It had been after Haley left. Jesse spent the time after that asleep with head against the wall, wondering if help would come. It had been a hope, which lit Jesse up for a while. Maybe Haley would go out and call for something—find Steve perhaps? She could go out and help in return for a favor. Jesse knew it was his only chance. But somehow he doubted it. He just had to wait and see how time would pass and how much more he had to live through. So he waited and slept, thinking that since he'd hardly got any, he was going to need it to have some sort of strength.

The sound of a slamming door awakened him. Light was filtering through the open door. "_Rise and shine, kid, there's work to be done_." Jesse didn't remember anyone calling him a kid since Anders.

Jesse squinted against the harsh bright line that shone through. But he couldn't exactly put up hands to block. He just closed them and lowered his head. Shaking his head to shake up the remaining tiredness that threatened to swallow him, he groaned deeply. _"Argh...man…what time is it?" _

"_I should think around half three in the morning_," Carlos said. He closed the door again, allowing Jesse to see more clearly. He had a bat in his hand, which he propped up against a wall. Then he took a chair, put it in front of Jesse and looked at the young doctor. _"Well, if it isn't Haley's lover-boy—Look at yourself Dr Travis. Is it really worth all this pain and humiliation for the life of someone more worthless than your own."_

"You're a good doctor."

"Day is a good lawyer."

Carlos laughed. _"If Day was such a good lawyer, his client, Whitney wouldn't have been wallowing in her own blood."_

Jesse just glared at the man, with a scar all the way down one side of his face, those strange eyes, which looked as though they belonged to that of a snakes'. Carlos leaned forward, resting his chin in the palms of his hand and looking down at Jesse. _"You know, being a doctor must be so much fun. You get to use all those wonderful instruments. I would love to use one. My mother always told me that when I was young, I liked to play with many 'toys' including the kitchen knife. Imagine how much I could have done with a scalpel." _He laughed and again and drew his long fingertip lightly down Jesse's cheek to his neck. Jesse jerked back to get away from his touch.

"_They don't give scalpels to homicidal maniacs," _he uttered.

Carlos' eyes widened. He picked up the chair in rage and threw it against the wall beside Jesse. Jesse flinched as the wooden chair splintered into pieces. He knew he had angered the man. Carlos leaned over and untied Jesse from the piping but kept his hands still cuffed. "_I have been given a job," _Carlos said. "_Not a very pleasant one I'm sure you can imagine. Marcus only has a certain amount of patience and sometimes, when he needs to cool off, he uses me to try and finish the job. I would like to give him the satisfaction that I succeeded." _Carlos gripped Jesse by his collar and dragged him up. _"I think this will be fun."_

Carlos gripped the bat and Jesse's eyes widened in fear. If that bat ever connected full force with his head, he didn't have a chance. Anywhere on his body with the slightest force would give him one hell of a bruise. "_You're sick, Carlos, you know that. Just like your boss you…" _Jesse cut off, as the bat connected to his side. He tripped and fell onto the ground, with his hands still tied so his fall was not nice.

"_Never insult me or Mr. Lavoy in front of me," _Carlos shouted and kicked him again. Crying out in pain, Jesse rolled over onto his other side. He knew he had angered Carlos into an inferno of rage. Jesse didn't know how long it lasted for, the beating. It was either a kick of a hit with the baseball bat. Jesse spent a lot of that time trying to stay conscious and protecting his head or the rest of his body. He remembered ducking a lot to protect his head from getting hit. The bat, at one point, hit the wall and there was a slam as the bat gave as massive crack. Then Jesse felt the bat smack into the lower right of his body near the liver. Jesse let out a cry of pain, louder than the others and collapsed on the ground, his whole body tense. The hit had jarred him badly and the wind had totally been let out. For a few seconds, Jesse found it hard to breathe.

"_Stop—please_," he begged, unable to look up at him. He pressed his forehead into the ground as if that would take the pain away and gasped in amounts of air through the pain.

Carlos's face turned into a cruel smile. He was smiling to himself with satisfaction at the fallen limp figure. He leaned forward, deliberately stepping on Jesse's outstretched hand. "_Are you giving in already, Dr Travis. It has only been ten minutes. Are you going to tell me where Day Passer is? I hope not, I'm just beginning to enjoy this little party."_

Jesse took a ragged breath. "_You're a psychopath, Carlos."_

Jesse's only reply was a hit with the bat. It came down on the top half of his spine. It reverberated all the way down his spine, Jesse was sure he could feel it. He cried out and the force of the hit made him jerk and twist into a new position on his back. He looked up as Carlos leaned forward and peered at him through those snake-like eyes. _"You going to tell me yet. I'm tired now."_

"I'd rather you hit me again with that bat," Jesse managed to say. He was passing out and fading. It was getting harder to breathe and with every breath, he felt searing pain in his appendix area…eventually Carlos gave up.

__

Community General Hospital—4.36pm

Jesse stopped breathing for a few seconds after that remembrance. To everyone, it was a mystery why it had happened, especially to Pete, who thought the plague to bad things happening to Jesse had stopped. After three shots with the Defibrillator, they finally got his heart back again. He seemed to be all right now but an oxygen mask was kept on for two days just to make sure. After that incident, Mark was certain his nerves were not going to calm down. Nothing else had come up in the case. Steve had found several fingerprints belonging to man named Carlos Berrentes, a former army member of Argentina, who had several convictions and left Argentina later. All the blood was Jesse and the electrocution device had been used so much at a high voltage that the fuse had bust. 

Three days passed. Community General was dismal after a confirmation by Pete Taylor that the likelihood of Jesse Travis ever waking up again was very slim. There were mixed emotions. But on that afternoon, a man entered Community General Hospital. He was rather around late thirties/early forties with cropped brown hair, which was already beginning to fade at the top, and the sides were growing gray…or maybe it was from stress? He wore a mud brown jacket and trousers with a white shirt. Looking around the hospital and shivering, he got his navigation processes in and finding reception, walked up to it. The receptionist looked up at him and raised her eyebrows.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a practiced tone.

The man looked around again nervously. "I'm—I want to see Jesse Travis."

The receptionist frowned at the request. She knew what her orders were. Steve Sloan had made sure of it. "I'm sorry, sir, Dr Travis' room is permitted to only a few people and that is just the doctors in this building."

"You don't understand," the man said, beginning to get agitated. "I need to see him."

"I know and I'm sorry sir," the receptionist said, uncertainly.

The man leaned over to her. "It's very, very important that I get to see him. Even if I just have to look at him but I have to be there. It's important to me…"

"Well, sir, Dr Travis is in a coma at the moment," the receptionist. The man looked at her in shock, almost reeling back in shock. His eyes registered absolute disbelief. From the other side of the room, Amanda, Mark and Steve who had been watching thought the man might pass out. He frowned, as if he was wondering how something like this could happen.

Mark frowned as well and pointed his clipboard towards the man. "I don't know why—but there's something about that man which is familiar to me."

Amanda looked closely. "I know what you mean. I swear he's been in this hospital before." Amanda thought back. "Yes, I remember. It was a few weeks ago. He came in for treatment. He would only want to be treated by Dr Travis for a cut finger, which he didn't show anybody. Jesse took him away and stitched him up but didn't mention a thing."

------------

__

"No, I won't speak to or be treated to by anyone but Dr Travis," the man told Amanda Bentley. "_I want him."_

"Well, I'm sorry, sir but I think Dr Travis is treating someone else."

"Tell him—" the man said looking around. "_Tell him I'm from WPT. He'll know that it means and he'll come." _Sure enough, Jesse didn't come. He looked in surprise at the figure them and then at the surprised faces of Mark and Amanda and hurried off with the man. Amanda and Mark though, curious, had followed Jesse to see what was going on.

The man didn't appear to have any injuries at all. Jesse sighed and leaned against the table. "_Listen, Ande—sir. I thought we agreed that you wouldn't visit me at the hospital. It's dangerous. Besides, what could be so important that it could not wait?"_

He sighed dejectedly. "_There's been a leak." _Jesse's face obviously fell.

Mark and Amanda heard no more. _"Good morning, Mr. Sloan, Mrs. Bentley," _Norman said. "_We wouldn't be neglecting our patients or bodies now, would we?"_

Amanda rolled her eyes. "_No sir," _she said and walked on.

-------------

Mark nodded. "That man has been here on several occasions wanting to talk to only Jesse. There weren't only just excuses, just turned up and Jesse always welcomed him in. Anders?"

Steve nodded. "He's the man on the tape. The one who was checking up on Jesse and Day to see how they were. And if I remember rightly, that's the one that was in Jesse's apartment when we were there searching for something." The others all nodded in agreement. Together, they decided the man was not a threat at all when something made them doubt their decision for a second.

The man leaned forward and grabbed the receptionist by her arms, shaking her. "I _need _to see Jesse Travis. I need to!" The receptionist had absolutely no idea what to do and looked visibly worried about the hysterical man. Mark stepped in quickly, offering a few apologies about the 'drunk' man and dragged him into one of the corridors where Steve and Amanda were waiting. He followed them, not sure where he was being chaperoned but going along anyway. Ever since the incident, he had not been himself lately.

"Are you Mr. Anders?"

The man looked shocked. "Well…I…err, yes. Yes, I am. Miles Anders." He looked down and then up. "How did you know about this?"

"Sorry, Mr. Anders, I'm Dr Mark Sloan, this is my son Steve and pathologist Amanda Bentley. We were digging around into Jesse's incident."

Anders nodded. "You were the ones that chased me out of the apartment." He shook his head and looked up at the curious cases. "Sloan. I remember Jess saying quite a few honorable words about Dr Sloan and his homicide detective son. And about how much you had done. Seemed like the kid really admired you." He straightened his tie. "But facts are reality. How much do you know, Dr Sloan."

"Enough about Jesse's involvement," Mark said.

Anders blinked a few times. He was the perfect idea of a professional, someone used to talking with people, understanding how they felt—now the tables had turned and even though he seemed to try and gain composure, he couldn't help feeling slightly weak. "I'm no threat. I was helping Jesse and Day. That's my job—well, _was _my job. I got to know Jesse as well as Day really well; I would _never _harm that kid. Could I see him?"

Mark looked at the others and they nodded. They led Anders through to ICU, where Jesse was staying. Mark opened the door and stepped in behind Anders. Anders took one look at Jesse and lowered his head shaking it. "Aw, kid, what have I done to you," he said with deep regret.

"Was he always your 'kid?'" Steve asked amused.

Anders smiled grimly. "They were all my kids. Even Day Passer was my kid. Jesse was like anyone else but the difference between him and everyone else was, he had a choice and he took it." He walked over to Jesse and looked at the bruised figure before. "Jesse never deserved any of this and it's practically my fault why he's there in the first place. If there's one thing I'd want to take back in my whole life it's this whole goddam mess—all nine months of it."

Mark nodded and looked from the sleeping Jesse to the distraught Miles Anders. If was obvious that he had not slept in a while; the lines showed under his eyes or maybe it was just handling the strain of Day Passer's death. "You do know that Day Passer is dead?" Mark asked, expecting a no but Anders nodded. "You do?"

"I think we need some explaining," Steve suddenly said. Anders looked towards the floor. "Don't think you can hide it from us, Mr. Anders. Jess is one of our best friends. We are the ones that work with him everyday in this place. We have the right to know—if not for justice, than for friendship—what was going on. We want the whole story." Steve stared at the witness protection programmer, hoping that he had somehow convinced the man to do it. Several years in the business had got Steve used to this kind of thing. But this time he knew he felt it, not because he wanted to find an attack (even though that was still a reason) but just to know.

Anders, who had been looking down, now looked up when Steve said these words to look at Jesse again. He supposed he owed it to them to know the truth. Besides, it was what Jesse would have wanted. Time spent with him had taught him that. "All right. You'll have to come to my office. There are things to show you as well. But I want to ask for you help. Jesse talked a lot about how you did these types of cases. I don't know if it's crossing far over the line but I was wondering if you could help."

Amanda nodded. "We'd do anything we can."

----Hey, this is me now, Halina Renata, the author! I was wanna thank everyone who's been reviewing my story so far. I really appreciate it. J (I still urge you to carry and prove to me this story is _not _going downhill, lol.) Well anyway, I'll get back to the story now. I'm sure you don't want to hear me rattling my thank you's and all that--- Halina


	10. The Traitors

****

CURIOSITY PART X

__

Witness Protection Program Headquarters—6.19pm

Mark, Amanda and Steve walked into the office with Miles Anders. His office looked as though it had just come out of World War II. It was not a very big office but obviously held everything he needed even though all that was scattered across chairs, desks and filing cabinets. Sighing as he walked through it all, Anders picked up the rubbish and piled it on top of everything else. "Been working hard?" Steve asked, looking around at all the files as Anders moved them.

Anders gave a disappointed hum. "Been working hard for the last three years to get a promotion," he replied. "You still see me on the seventh floor." He threw his hands in the air. "Just sit where there's a space and just move the stuff around."

"You good at your job?" Steve asked again.

Anders looked at Steve again with a hint of resentment as though from Day's death and Jesse's attack, he was accusing him. "If you mean have I ever got a witness killed then, no, until Day Passer. I've been working in this program for the last seven years of my life and I never killed a single witness. Something went wrong in the middle of this case which I'm trying to work out for myself." Anders sat down at his desk and picked up a file from the basket labeled IN. Finally he sat back, muttering to himself, "at least I know where the important files are." He looked up at them. "Right, Day Passer and Jesse Travis."

Mark nodded. "Yes, we're trying to find out exactly what happened. We explained what we do know in the car but there are certain things we are still not sure about."

Anders nodded and smiled. "The whole _Day _part of this." Mark nodded as well. "Well, around last year, during the Lavoy drug shipment, Whitney Ives, witnessed him kill a worker. It was a big case. People have been trying to put Lavoy away for years. Day worked on the case and he was doing pretty well for a young lawyer like himself. He was doing the case very well. Almost too well. But as enthusiastic as Day was, he tried to find even more. He went snooping around as well to find even more evidence, even in Marcus Lavoy's private quarters."

"Did he find anything?" Amanda asked.

Anders laughed. "Did he find? He did more than find. It was like finding a whole Roman Village from the ground. In there, he found records of every major drug movement from here to Miami. Pictures, letters papers and the lot. It was enough for a sentence and with all the people involved, Lavoy would have got Death Row. It was on one of the nights that he was there. He overheard a plot between Marcus Lavoy and his 'trusted advisor' Carlos to kill Whitney. As soon as he could get away, Day did. But it was too late. By the time Day got there, Carlos was already half way through finishing her. He witnessed most of the murder and was practically caught by running out."

"But somehow, Marcus managed to find out that it was Day Passer?" Steve said.

"Exactly," Anders continued. "Day, unwilling to make his first case a disappointment, decided to carry on. He was going to make sure that Lavoy made it behind bars and steel doors. Then…several attempts on his life were made. By the time a serious near-death experience came through, he informed the police and we realized how important Day was to us. Day was more important than Whitney Ives. _With _Day, we could get Lavoy for murder, drug involvement, scandal and tones of others. So he was brought into the witness protection program."

"So," Mark said. "That's the background of the story. A lot of it fits."

"All good and well but where does Jesse come in?" Steve asked.

Anders nodded and leaned forward. "Lieutenant Sloan, I have been working on this case for nine months and I never got tired of it. But I couldn't revolve my life by looking after Day personally. I've moved from Nevada, to San Diego, to San Francisco until I finally thought I should go back to where I was based, in Los Angeles, and keep him here. What we do here, is take a few trusted people and make them look after Day. We needed someone who Marcus Lavoy would never suspect."

"Jesse," Amanda said.

Anders pointed a finger at her. "Bingo. We found Jesse in the hospital one day, working. He found out a lot about him by studying, his daily routine and attitude etc and decided we would give it a try. We seemed to trust him. So we forwarded the idea to him and I must admit, he was very reluctant about doing it at first. I proposed that he spent a few days with Day to see how it worked out and by the end of those few Days, Jesse was more than happy to participate. Day was always very charismatic. So we filled Jesse in on all the details, he agreed on all the terms, and they lived in Jesse's apartment like collage buddies."

Steve nodded. "So we gathered from the tape."

"You found the tape?" Anders said.

Steve smiled. "That what you were looking for when you at the apartment two days ago." Anders nodded, saying it was a vital piece of information, should the case ever come to court again. 

"Well, yes, Jesse and Day got along better than any of the other people Day stayed with. Quite extraordinary. But after a few weeks, I don't know how, someone found out. A leak sprung in the pipe. Jesse started receiving phone calls from someone who said he knew that he had Day and would hunt him down and kill them both. He gave very elaborate methods of killings. Only Jesse got the calls because the man only called when Day was out on his usual drink run. Jesse got scared and came to talk to me; we said we were going to work something out. Jesse didn't want Day to go anywhere nor did he want him hurt. He left these offices and that was the last I saw of him until today. I worked hard trying to find the leak and some way of helping Day. Next thing I know, I have a call from Day saying something happened to Jesse and he disappears from the phone long. The morning after, my boss tells me Day is dead." Anders sighed.

Steve frowned. "And you have no idea who sprung that leak? No idea who it was?"

Anders shook his head. Steve smiled. "We know it was Jesse's girlfriend, Haley Johnson. She found out what she needed and gave it to Lavoy."

"Yes, but how did Lavoy know about Jesse to send Haley there," Anders asked. "Someone must have tipped Lavoy off about Jesse in order to send Haley there." Anders sighed and shook his head. "I spent the best part of nine months working with Day. He could have closed his case totally, once and for all. I got really close to Day and to Jesse afterwards. They just got along so well. Honestly, it was like listening to a couple of kids down that phone."

Mark and Amanda sighed. They had been thinking the same thing. "But what now?" Mark asked. "We have practically all we need. We know the story, we know what has happened and we have some evidence to tie Marcus Lavoy and Carlos to not only the killing but Jesse's attack. Why couldn't we just go in and find him."

Anders and Steve shook their heads. "No, dad. They couldn't hold Marcus in a court trial. We need Jesse. He's the only person that can hold the case together. Without him, a lot of it falls apart. It could only just possibly stand with Haley Johnson's testimony, if she even testified."

"I agree with Lieutenant Sloan," Anders said. "It wouldn't stick. And what keeps nagging me is how Lavoy found out. It's been eating me ever since this incident." Anders shook his head yet again. Steve was surprised why the man didn't he didn't seem to constant have a crick in his neck. "But seeing as you seem to know a lot, we may as well work together. I have given up trying to get permission from others. The man upstairs, Holmes, is literally unmovable. So, what do you say?"

Steve immediately stood up. He trusted the man. They both shook hands. "Agreed. Now tell me everyone who knew about this operation."

__

Community General Hospital—4.58 pm

Jesse tried frequently to get out of his coma-state. He tried so hard and sometimes he would just fall back and almost cry with defeat. He wanted to get out so much and see his friends, to warn them what was going on. Jesse wanted to move and open his eyes again. He was fed up with looking at a black void. He was tired of just hearing voices all the time without a meaning. He was scared. Jesse was scared of this, his condition, Day, the whole operation…Jesse's life had been turned into something which made him constantly scared.

He remembered what happened after Carlos left. The final stage—the finale. The part which Jesse remembered the most. That was the scene that plagued his mind the most and tortured him. That was what made Jesse attempt to wriggle and squirm in desperation to get out. Carlos had left him on the floor, withering in agony. The bat was just left there. Jesse, shaking, brought his hands together and brought them to his head in slow, shaky movements. His breath came out raggedly. He had never experienced such pain before in his life and enduing all this in one go was too much on the young Doctor. He wished for the pain to go away.

Jesse dreaded to know what his face looked like. It was probably discolored. Jesse felt several trickles of blood fall from his face throughout the whole night but now, when it happened, it was too painful to move any part of his body to wipe it away. His back was searing with pain. It was like waves, throbbing up and down his spine, centering in that area where the bat had crashed. The right side of his body was on fire, it felt to Jesse. It felt like flames were licking it to the point where Jesse was biting his lip to prevent himself from crying out. "Feels like a bad case of appendicitis," he managed to utter but Jesse knew it was far more serious. Had he ruptured his appendix? Snapped it? Caused internal bleeding? Sometimes, Jesse wished he wasn't a doctor. That way he wouldn't know the horrors of a certain situation and couldn't guess what it could be.

Finally, though, Jesse's head fell onto the hard floor of his cell. It was too much to carry on with. He felt his eyes close and even though his ragged breathing continued; it was nice to close his eyes. He had been deprived of sleep for too long. From the small window of his cell, he could tell it was nowhere near six o'clock as it was still dark outside. What was it, four? Half four? Jesse gave up and fell away.

Jesse didn't know how long he slept for, though. It seemed only a few minutes later when the door was opened. Someone grabbed his hair and lifted him up to lean against the wall. Jesse awoke immediately to the searing pain in his appendix area. He cried out and stared into the eyes of a menacing, frightening and definitely angry Marcus Lavoy. "_Dr Travis, my patience is slowly beginning to run out. I have been very patient with you. More patient than I have been with anyone else but the sands of time are slowly ticking away. You have been given another chance."_

In too much pain to speak, Jesse merely shook his head. His eyes widened in horror when he saw the electrocution device taken out again. He tried to move but the tied hands and feet and constant waves of pain racking his body prevented him from going too far. Marcus laughed cruelly. _And where you would go, Dr Travis? There is nowhere to run. It's only me and you in your little prison room and torture. It could have been so much easier on you. If you looked at yourself, you wouldn't even recognize yourself. All this pain could have been prevented if you just told me where Day was?"_

Without giving him a chance to reply, Marcus put the device near Jesse's arm again. Mercilessly, he pressed the button, sending Jesse into even more pain. He cried out, his screams echoing far out through the warehouse. Not even Marcus was smiling at the torment he was giving the young Doctor. He just carried on and on and when he thought he delivered enough, he stopped. Jesse, panting and sweating, his body still shaking from the aftermath of the charge, still gave no sign of revealing anything. Enraged, Marcus set it twice as higher and Jesse though he was going to throw up when it connected with him. He could almost feel the currents running through his veins. But the pain had become normal now. Even when Marcus set it higher, he thought it was going to pass out but the numbness of his body stopped him from feeling any pain. There was the smell of smoke and as his tied eyes looked, the machine gave off a few sparks and then died.

Marcus flung the thing aside, sending it crashing into the wall. Then he knelt down beside Jesse again, cupping the man's chin and lifting his head up. Jesse seemed half-unconscious. "_Do not force me, Dr Travis. The lives of many people are at stake now, not only yours and Day Passer's. If you are not careful, I will go after the ones you love most. I will kill the people you work with. I will kill Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Anders and that pretty pathologist woman you work with."_

Jesse's arms moved upwards as if he wanted to strangle Marcus. "_No," _he managed to say. "_Don't hurt them. Please…don't."_

"_Then tell me where Day is. If not, I will make their deaths even more painful and slower than yours is going. I have thousands of those devices, thousands of ways. I would bring them here and let you watch them die right in front of your eyes. I'd let you watch their suffering and pleading." _Jesse closed his eyes, and shook his head, saying silent and audible 'no's' in his head. His mouth whispered it, his mind screamed it.

_"All right!" _Jesse shouted, as loud as his screams had been. "_I can't take it any more! It's…too much. I'll tell you…I'll tell you." _No one could mistake the relief and eagerness in Marcus's eyes. "_He'd be at my apartment. He goes to the bar every night—Ocean Drive one. Then he comes back late to my apartment. You can't miss him."_

Marcus patted Jesse's lightly on the cheek and ruffled his dirty blond hair. "_Well done, Dr Travis. All human's are weak and they will give in."_

Jesse gave enormous effort, when Marcus stood up, to life his head. "_You won't hurt my friends."_

"Consider them safe," Marcus confirmed. "_Carlos. Pack up everything here and let's leave. I want everything taken. Then take Dr Travis and deposit him somewhere where preferably no one can find him. Filo, you have business to take care of." _Smiling, Marcus left the door open where Carlos came in. Cackling with laughter at Jesse's weakness, he picked him up, despite his pain and dumped him outside. Fredrick Warehouse wasn't exactly a popular tourist spot. He left Jesse out in the cold as Marcus's men packed up and left in their cars.

Jesse rolled onto his back and looked up into the starry sky of what must have been close to morning. He shook his head, the tears of guilt and tears falling down his cheeks. He kept saying sorry, over and over in his head. As a doctor, he had lost many patients but never to himself giving up trying. But this time he had given up and told Marcus about Day. Another patient would die because of him. Jesse chose his lifelong friends against Day. Maybe it would put Day out of his constant misery if he let it all go and stopped living this kind of life.

And in the back of his mind he could feel Day saying, _thank you, Jesse._

Now after remembering this scene for long enough, Jesse pushed himself. He didn't trust Lavoy. No one should trust Lavoy. He remembered Marcus's horrible voice when he mentioned his friends and killing them. Jesse wanted to wake up so much and get out of this place. Thinking about it so hard, Jesse felt some senses. Pushing harder, Jesse managed to get something to move. He could feel himself moving, stiffly and slowly but he beganto move and that fog which constantly covered him let go. 

Someone shouted something. "Pete, I think Jesse's waking up!"

__

Witness Protection Program Headquarters—6.19pm

Steve sat back in the chair again. The three of them were still in Anders' office. Even though it was stuffy, with the windows Anders had opened behind, the place was at least cool. Anders had been more than co-operative. He gave every information but the stress of it all was beginning to show on the programmer's face. The lines deepened. "I've told you. The only people who knew about this operation were me, another member of the program who is at the moment in Hawaii and Holmes, the man upstairs. Nobody else knew. Maybe word got down to the press."

Steve put a file down he was reading about Marcus Lavoy for the hundredth time. It seemed they had gone through everything about this case until they were sick of it. "As much as scavengers the press can be, they couldn't have gotten wind of something this big. Maybe someone from Nevada found out of maybe it was purely by luck. I mean, if Lavoy put out a reward for this, people would come teaming in with names."

Anders shrugged. "I suppose so. Trying to find this out isn't my field. You're the police detective." He was pacing the area in between his desk and the window again for the hundredth time as well. A hand constantly went to his forehead as though it was hurting. The more agitated he got, the faster he walked, jumbling over his ideas. The phone rang and he picked it up. "Anders!" he barked. "Oh sorry, sir…not doing anything, sir…just—friends…" His face panicked and then fell. "Okay, sir, I'll do that." He put the phone down but it fell and landed on the floor.

Amanda bent down to pick it up as Mark came back with cups of coffee. "That was Holmes. He knows I have someone here and wants me to clear you lot out. But I'm not about to do that."

Mark frowned. "How did he know?"

Anders threw his hands in the air. "How do I know. The man is God!"

Amanda, who had bent down to pick up the phone, stared strangely at is before she put it back. In the speaking part, there was a strange device. Not much could be seen apart from the red glow flashing. "Do you have a screwdriver?"

"What do I look like, a walking toolbox?" Anders demanded.

Steve couldn't resist a joke. "This office sure looks like one."

Amanda sighed. Lifting the receiver, she smashed it onto the desk, getting an outraged, "Hey!" from Anders. After a few blows and stunned looks, the end of the receiver came free, revealing a small device attached into the electronics. Steve and Mark came over to look. "That was how they found out!" Steve whistled in amazement. "He heard your conversations."

"Yes, but _who _is _he?" _Mark asked.

They all looked at each other, one name coming to mind.

(Total cliffhanger that, I know)


	11. The Awakening of Realizations

****

CURIOSITY PART XI

__

Witness Protection Program Headquarters—5.00PM

"Holmes!" they all said but Mark.

Mark nodded slowly. It seemed totally possible when he fitted all the evidence together. "But why would Holmes do it?" he asked. Usually, he was good at finding the motives. But with all the excitement of this week and the tiring case about Jesse, the telltale signs were beginning to show. Steve was not surprised about his father's attitude. His mind was whirring with possibilities, trying to link it all in to place. His mind was angry that someone who was meant to help protect people was selling them out. This time, though, the crime was worse than Haley Johnson's was when he thought about it. Greed.

"Money," Steve said. "Marcus Lavoy _would _have put up a reward for anyone who could give the name. With his rep it would have been a pretty big one. He would have jumped at the chance. How else would he have been able to tap Anders phone line and how would he have known that we were in this office?"

They nodded. Anders, looking slightly pale and ill, looked as though he would throw up. Then, his face reddening, he ran out of the room. "I want a piece of him!" he shouted, with as much hatred in his voice as he could muster. He charged past everyone. "I'll kill him for what he's done." Steve, Mark and Amanda ran after the hysterical man, reaching him just as he got to the elevator and pressed the button. He would so mad; he would have gone up the stairs had it not come in less than five seconds. Steve reached him first, grabbing his shoulder and turning him around.

"Believe me, Miles, we all want a piece of him," Steve said softly. "If I weren't a cop I would take out my gun and shoot him right between the eyes. We'll have our time with him but we still need him. The real perp is Marcus and only Holmes can lead us to him. Calm down." Mark and Amanda caught up just as Anders recovered his breath and sense of dignity. Without waiting, he pushed past Steve and walked up the stairs with the three of them following in tow. "Where exactly is Holmes's office?" Steve asked, taking out gun just in case.

"Another three floors." Adding bitterly, "where I'd like to be."

Smiling at the remark, Steve stopped when he reached the tenth floor. He grabbed Anders and prevented him from going any further before going in front with the gun. As they walked down the corridor, it was obvious that Holmes' office was the only one on the floor. A figure turned the corner and Steve ran in front of him. "Ben Holmes! Freeze! Say right where you are." Ben Holmes did exactly the opposite. He turned tail and ran back towards his office. Steve's natural instinct would be to shoot. He would have done anything to blow the man away but he was vital. He started to run as well, as fast as he could. He was sure Holmes wasn't carrying a weapon. There was the sound of a door closing and when Steve tried to open it, he found it locked.

"Security lock," Anders panted coming up beside him with Amanda and Mark. "Punch the numbers and it opens." When Steve asked if he knew the code he stared at the detective as if he was nuts. "I'm a minor!" 

Steve moved back, charged towards the door and pushed his shoulder with all his weight. His anger and adrenaline added to the strength and the door came down in one blow, almost taking Steve with it. They looked into the room to see Ben Holmes, attempting to open his window as if he was going to run out onto it and fall to his death past all ten floors. "Holmes! Stay where you are and don't make a move. Is it really worth it now when everybody knows about you and what you've done? Step down from there."

Holmes held onto the window for a few seconds. Then he put his foot, throwing his coat and bag onto the table. Then he sat down into his chair, letting out a cry. "It wasn't supposed to work out like this."

Mark shook his head. "They never do." He walked over to what was once a hard but respected man. "Why did you do it, though? Why did you help such a parasitical criminal who would probably kill you anyway? And why did you give up the lives and protection of two ordinary people to him?" Mark shook his head, wondering how one man who had probably devoted his life to get to this status in helping witnesses could sink to as low as giving them away so easily. Mark wondered from the expression on Ben Holmes's face whether he regretted what he had done to the people. Not just to the ones who had got hurt physically but the ones around them too.

Ben Holmes shrugged. "Why do you think? The money Goddamit!" he shouted, turning round towards them, a cruel leer on his face. "I didn't know how much I'd been working for this city, protecting the people, so it came as a shock when I got up to the tenth floor. Too much work! Not only that, not enough pay. The job is lousy. So then Marcus Lavoy appears a few months ago and offers a two hundred thousand-dollar award to name the man who could give the name or location of where Day Passer was. It was the opportunity of a lifetime and I found out through Anders's phone calls. It was worth it. I got my money and my financial problems cease to be a worry."

Amanda shook his head. "You killed Day Passer, an important man, a _vital _man and almost kill Jesse Travis who was an innocent person helping? I have met some many people in my time but none as sick and as heartless as you are." Amanda said that with full hatred. She was angry that Jesse's attack like this had come so easily to a man who had just wanted money.

"Son of a bitch," Anders muttered, but didn't do anything more.

Two cops appeared from Marks call that he made a few minutes earlier. "Take this piece of trash downtown and make sure he doesn't go anywhere." Steve put his gun back and let out a sigh of relief as he saw Holmes finally put away. It made him feel better about what he had done to help Jesse. They were even closer. Running a hand through his hair, he turned and walked out of the building with Steve and Amanda. Anders agreed to sort things out back at the program and would come and see them later.

Upon entering the hospital, Steve, Amanda and Mark were greeted with the great news that Jesse was trying to wake up. They ran quickly into the ICU room and Amanda sat on the bed next to Jesse. His eyes were still closed but most of the wires and tubes had been taken away. He looked much better like that. She held onto Jesse's hand and put her other towards Jesse's forehead.

"Jesse," she whispered quietly, leaning close. "Jess, can you hear me? If you can, try and open your eyes and look at me." She got no answer at first but that didn't stop her from trying. "Jesse, it's Amanda. Please give some sort of response." They waited a few minutes. Mark and Steve were either side of the bed, facing one another. From outside the door, Pete was there, closing his eyes and saying a silent prayer. He prayed Jesse would make it out for his sake and his friends. His condition had been improving after all. He had moved not half an hour ago. Amanda continued calling Jesse's name, pushing the hair back from his forehead and stroking it lightly. She was about to give up, saying that maybe he was too tired to respond…then there was a movement.

Amanda felt a tightening on her hand and noticed that Jesse's fingers were moving when she looked down. His hand was trying hard to hold hers and squeeze it. She gave a happy gasp and looked up into Jesse's face. The doctor's face was moving ever so slightly and as the rest of them looked, his eyes tried to open. "That's it, Jesse, come on, you can do it. Look at me." With as much effort as he could muster, he opened them and looked up into her face. He took a long time focusing before he actually looked at her in recognition.

"A-Amanda?" he asked hoarsely, almost choking off in between.

Amanda thought she was going to burst out into tears of happiness. She nodded. "Yeah, Jess, it's me. How are you feeling?"

Jesse didn't answer her. He looked around, seeing Mark and then Steve. "Where…where am I?" he asked, coughing.

"You're in the hospital, Jesse," Mark said softly, smiling.

"Hospital?" Jesse asked and closed his eyes shaking his head. He closed his eyes and sank back, sighing with relief. His eyes were still slightly open, revealing that he was still awake. But then suddenly, his whole body tensed, taking Amanda by surprise that she almost jumped off the bed. Jesse opened his eyes wide and looked around like a trapped animal. He almost pulled his IV out as he tried to get up despite his pains. "Day! Day! Amanda, Mark, St-Steve, where's Day! You have to tell me, I gotta know. He should be back at the apartment."

Amanda looked at the others helplessly. They tried to keep him down and talk to him comfortingly but it breezed right over Jesse. He tried to constantly get out despite his weak condition. He bucked and they held his arms and legs down before he really did pull out the IV. "Jesse, calm down, you're not doing yourself any good." Pete ran in immediately. As quickly as he could, he administered a sedative with the help of Jeanie. Mark, Steve and Amanda watched as their friend fell into a quieter and less moving state. Pete and Jeanie then left. Steve inwardly decided that it wasn't a good idea to let Jesse hear the tape that Day left, especially the last part but sooner or later it would come out.

Jesse was not being knocked unconscious. In fact, he was very much alert now. His voice, after crying out so much, was hoarse and dry. He started to cough and Steve got him some ice. When he felt better, he leant back, with his eyes wide but not totally 'with it.' His blue eyes studied his friends. They were happy beyond description. If not for Jesse's condition, Amanda looked as though she was going to party.

"M-Mark," Jesse said, struggling to get the words out. He had a sharp intake of pain near his appendix area. "Please, tell me. Do you know?"

Mark nodded. "We know about Day and everything else." Jesse's head lowered and mumbled something about them being angry with him. "Oh, Jesse, we're far from being mad at you. Right now, what we're concerned about most is you and how you feel."

Jesse nodded. "What—what about Day? Is he at my apartment?"

Amanda, Mark and Steve shared glanced which Jesse couldn't see. Amanda sat back down on the bed, thinking now was a better time than never. She sat next to him and put her arms around his shoulders. "Jesse, I know this is going to be hard. We know how well you got along with Day." Amanda hated the way Jesse was looking at her like that with such a childlike innocent gaze. "The truth is that Day is dead, Jesse. There's nothing anyone could do about it." Jesse spent a few seconds letting this absorb in. Mark was worried about Jesse's reaction to it all. But when Jesse finally let it sink in, he turned his head down so his friends couldn't see but everyone knew what he was doing.

Amanda lifted Jesse up and held him tightly as he cried into her shoulder. She felt pity on him and almost felt crying herself. She couldn't imagine at all how Jesse felt. Steve turned away and sat down. He knew this was going to be hard on Jesse but seeing him suffer this way was bad. Mark just looked at Amanda. Finally Jesse pulled away and got himself into a more sitting position with the help of Mark. He wiped his eyes stiffly with his hands. Then, staring blandly at the sheets with watered eyes, he said, "It's my fault."

Steve looked up. "Jesse it was not your fault," he said sharply. "You were being hurt in such cruel ways and you still managed to survive. You couldn't help it if you told."

Jesse nodded. "I survived…Day didn't. But it is my fault. I gave in. I got through—through everything. I got through the beating up, the electrocution, the baseball bat and all the mocking that both Marcus and Carlos did. I didn't mention anything about where Day was throughout all of that." Jesse still couldn't look at them. "Then he threatened you three. Said he was going to kill you with even more pain and slower than he was doing to me—and that he'd make me watch. I couldn't stand it…so I told."

Mark had never been so touched in his life. His protégé had sacrificed someone else's life so he could save his other friends. Mark remembered the many times where Doctors were close to 'playing God.' Jesse had been pretty close to it. He had chosen Mark, Steve and Amanda over Day and he could only imagine how hard that had been for Jesse to do. He went over and sat next to Jesse, putting his hands on the young man's shoulders. "Jesse, you can't blame yourself. No matter what way you go, someone was going to get hurt. That's the way people like Marcus Lavoy play it. But the fact that you managed to withstand Marcus for so long is a true sign of how tough you really are Jesse. You should never blame yourself. Day knows how hard you tried to prevent it but there is no right or wrong choice." Jesse nodded, looking at Mark in a trusting and understanding gaze.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Mark smiled. "Any time, Jess." He stood up from the bed. "I think maybe we should leave Jesse to get some more rest. He's going to need it."

"No!" Jesse shouted, trying to move forward but decided against it from the pains he received especially the ones within his back. The others all turned to look at him. "Please don't go. I don't want to be alone again. I've been doing that for too long and I don't want to get those nightmares."

Mark walked back into the room with Amanda. "We'll stay with you, Jesse."

"I'm going down to see that Holmes guy and see what I can get out of him," Steve said. "Bye Jesse." Jesse nodded and watched Steve walk out of the door. Then, himself, he tried to settle himself back into the bed again. He was trying hard not to let pain of any sort show. The sedation had prevented him to show too much emotion about what happened to Day. It had deeply upset him. He imagined what his apartment would be like now. Quiet now…no television when he got back…no quick jibes…no complaining about the food. Jesse couldn't believe that a humorous and charismatic man like Day was dead…his friend.

"What was wrong with me?" Jesse asked, looking at Mark. "Injuries."

Mark sighed and sat down next to Jesse. He knew Jesse should get some sleep but he was too afraid to sleep. "Well, Jess, they were pretty serious when you did finally come in. There were quite a few injuries, Jesse, some of them serious. Head injuries. There were quite a few broken ribs and internal injuries. You were internally bleeding near the appendix area. You have a broken leg. Second degree burns on your arms there were such serious bruising as fractures across your spine we thought you were paralyzed." Mark smiled. "Glad to see you proved us wrong."

Jesse smiled nervously. "It will all go away, right? Fixed?"

Mark nodded. "Anything on the outside can be fixed, Jesse. Even some parts on the inside. There are some parts, which do take a lot of time to heal. Parts like here—" Pointing to his head, "and here—" pointing to his heart. "Those will take time but you have to rid of what Marcus did to you and about Day from your mind."

Jesse nodded. "It's hard 'cause it hurts. Both things hurt." He ran a hand nervously through his hair. "I don't ever remember being so scared before. Not even when I had mutated smallpox or was accused of those murders." Jesse put a hand to his cheek and felt the cuts and bruises there. "It was a nightmare, it was _hell. _And all I could think about was stopping them from knowing where Day was and getting through the pain. Escaping never crossed my mind and I had a lot of time to think. The things they used…" Jesse's eyes started to water again.

Amanda went over to him and pulled him into an embrace again. She patted Jesse's hair. "Shh, Jess, don't worry, it's okay now. You're gonna be all right. We're so close to finding Marcus and you will put this behind you and as though it never happened." She made Jesse look at her. "You always have us, Jesse, and we always have each other. You're not alone and you have every right to be scared. No one should have gone through what you did. But you got out of it. It doesn't matter who lived and who did. What matters is you."

Jesse nodded, lying back on the pillows any more. That half an hour took its toll. He closed his eyes and fell asleep instantly, the guilt released.

--I know it's getting kind of sappy but bear with me. I think this is the only chapter like that and this is still not over--


	12. The questions both Harsh and Subtle

****

CURIOSITY PART XII

__

LAPD Headquarters—5.32pm

Steve had Ben Holmes in an interrogation room. He left him to sweat in there for fifteen minutes and watched him from behind the one way window. As he stared solidly, his captain came up beside him. "You've done a great job so far, Sloan. I'm pleased, despite it's a personal case, how well you've been doing." Sloan nodded appreciating the compliment but his eyes never left the figure sitting on the other side of the window. Captain patted his arm and turned away, suddenly wondering if Sloan could do the job of interrogating Holmes. He looked as though he would murder the man if he got agitated. Finally though, Steve walked into the interrogation room and sat down in front of Holmes. The man stared down at his hands.

Steve leaned forward. "I haven't had much patience recently," he started off. "I have been wandering the city far and wide to find some piece of evidence. It seemed I didn't need to look far." Then he sat back and looked at the man. "Are you going to tell me where Marcus Lavoy is?"

Holmes looked at Steve like a stubborn child. "I'm not speaking to anyone until my attorney is here."

Steve laughed bitterly. "Holmes, not even your attorney can help you. The evidence is mounting up against you right this minute. You bank account is being raided, telephone calls to Lavoy being collected and that bug in Anders' phone is down in forensics. I feel that the only thing you attorney could do is watch this open-mouthed. You don't have any defense any more."

Ben Holmes sighed and sat back. From the ride to the station to sitting down in the interrogation room, he had had a lot of time to think. He had thought about what he had done and whether it was worth it…or whether it was worth still protesting his innocence. He couldn't make up a story. People knew…Anders knew. He may as well tell the whole story or a least some of it. Maybe he would get less time. After all, he was not really the criminal they were after. He looked up into Steve Sloan's eyes. "For all I know, he's back in Nevada somewhere, gambling with his friends."

Steve shook his head. "Somehow, I don't think so. Your bank account has one hundred thousand dollars in it. That's only half the amount that you were supposed to get. Marcus was going to pay you the other half when he was done, wasn't he? That means he's still somewhere here, isn't he?"

Ben Holmes fidgeted a bit. "I don't know. I haven't spoken to him in ages!"

Steve was beginning to lose his patience. "Oh come on, Holmes! You phone bill shows that you were talking to him three days ago for at least fourteen minutes. I don't know what your idea of 'ages' is but that is certainly not mine. Now am I going to get some answers or am I going to have to take some more drastic measures?" Ben didn't answer. "Lavoy is the biggest criminal this side of California. He uses people like you. Do you think that he was really going to pay you the other half of the money that easily? Such guys do not allow such things to happen and I thought you'd know that."

Still Ben Holmes didn't answer. "Do you know how many people he's killed? He just gave the word and it happened and he had no care in the world. People dropped dead when he gave the word. So many people have died because of him and why are you becoming just like him? Surely it couldn't have been all for the money and why kill for it?"

Holmes shrugged. "Some are worth the sacrifice."

Steve lost his patience and lunged at Ben Holmes, grabbing him by the collar of his expensive gray jacket. "Nothing is worth sacrificing for that. Not even someone's life. You telling me you would kill someone who _you_ loved for a couple of thousand?" He was shaking Holmes now that the man could almost not see and passed out. Steve was beside himself with anger.

The door opened and Steve's captain came in. He dragged the lieutenant off the shaken man. "Sloan, quit it, he's not worth it," his ordered.

Steve glared at him. "He's worth every second," he cried angrily. "Every punch I could land on this face would make up for the millions that Jesse received." He so badly wanted to lift up his fist and at least give him one deck in the face to make himself feel better.

"If you want to deck someone, Sloan, it should be, Lavoy," his Captain ordered. "But Holmes is not worth it. If he cannot see the plain truth if what happened if he does not co-operate or what Lavoy could do to him then it's his problem to worry about, not yours. Leave him to Lavoy. He'll be sorted out." Steve wasn't sure what game his captain was playing but he agreed and let go of Holmes, not taking his eyes off the shaken man. Standing back, he shared a glance with his captain quickly, who had raised his eyebrows looking at the detective.

Ben Holmes straightened his tie and got his breath back. He looked at the two men. "Wh—what do you mean he'll sort me out?" 

Steve smiled inwardly to himself. Now he knew what his Captain was playing at. "Well, you're in our hands now. We don't really have enough evidence to charge you with anything so we have to let you go. Now, Lavoy won't be too pleased to know you were in here with us—talking to us. He may decide you're a threat if you gave away anything and then he'll come and kill you just like he's done to all those other people."

Ben Holmes' eyes widened. But you have to keep me here then!"

Captain raised his eyebrows. "We'd only grill you more."

Holmes looked around like a trapped animal and sweat started to show in his brow. "I'd rather do that then get killed. I'll tell you what you need—any smallest detail—but you have get me protection against Lavoy."

Steve looked at him incredulously. "Like the protection you gave?" The first signs of guilt showed on his face and Steve could feel nothing but disgust for the man who was meant to help people out of situations like the one he had just got himself into. If Steve knew a big hypocrite, Ben Holmes was one. Here he was, begging to be protected against the criminal kingpin when in fact; he'd barely given a thought about the protection of Jesse and Day when he gave them away. If it had been Steve's way, he would have left the swine to suffer out onto the streets. But Steve knew his captain would allow it. "All right, spill it."

Ben Holmes sighed. "I don't actually know where Ben Holmes is." Steve let out an annoyed hiss through his teeth. "But I do know something! I do know that he wants to plan a hit on his girlfriend. He thinks that she got to close to Jesse Travis and that she could spill. He doesn't want her to be a problem so he'll eliminate her." He looked around, hoping this information was useful to them because if not, he was in for trouble and he knew it.

"All right, take him to the cells," Steve said and ran out of the room.

__

Community General Hospital—2.47pm

Jesse sighed and sat back looking at the ceiling of the room he was in. He still stayed in the room he was in because they thought that moving him would only result in more strain than he was already in. He let out another breath. His eyes were blank and expressionless. "Still don't feel like eating?" Amanda asked, sitting down on the chair beside him. Jesse didn't look at her but simply shook her head. "You know, you can't carry on with not eating. It's not doing yourself any good."

Jesse nodded. "I know, I know. I'm trying to tell myself to eat because I know I have to. But it all seems tasteless and every time I do, I feel like throwing it back up again." It was a few days since Steve's interrogation. Jesse, now fully awake and alert, had somewhat recovered. His bruising's were beginning to die down and the pain near his appendix and spine were diminishing. He still had not got out of bed and the first few times he tried food he ended up being sick. Jesse spent a lot of time either talking to Steve and Mark but mainly Amanda. Other times he would just sit and think.

Amanda had watched him throughout the last days. He was not the same Jesse. His blue eyes no longer gave off that mischievous glint. They were void, lacking in expression. He had not laughed at all and spoke naturally which was not like him at all. He didn't even make his own jokes or wisecracks. What used to drive Amanda round the bend before was driving her inwardly insane now. She was so unused to this type of Jesse that she wanted to cry and force him to come back. But she knew that in time, Jesse would make it back. With some help, he'd get there.

Jesse looked at Amanda. "Have they caught him?" he asked.

It was the question that he had been asking the last few days. He never said his name but always referred to Marcus as 'him' or 'he.' And all the time Amanda gave him bad news. "Sorry, Jesse, not yet. He hasn't come by to Haley's house yet so Steve hasn't caught him."

Jesse sighed with frustration, banging his hand down on the bed causing a small jolt of pain along his arm where a bruise was but he didn't let it show. "I'm fed up of this. I'm fed up of sitting in this bed and waiting for the news to come. I'm fed up of just _waiting. _It's all I've been doing these past two weeks." Amanda looked at him in sympathy. She didn't know what it was like sitting in that bed for hours on end, day after day, just _waiting _for something to come. He hadn't seen or walked anywhere in ages.

"I'm sure it's hard, Jess," she said. "But soon you'll be walking out of here and working again in ER and it will all be back to how it was with or without him." Jesse simply nodded. Amanda thought she was going to get angry with him. Not a hated anger and not even at him—just his attitude. She couldn't stand it. "What is it, Jesse? Is it the guilt that you didn't help Day? Or is you're scared of telling us what happened totally down there in the warehouse?" Jesse's eyes looked round at her. "Well?"

Jesse swallowed. "Both."

"Then talk to someone about it, Jess. You can't keep it bottled up forever. It's only going to make you feel worse."

Jesse took another breath and let it out, this time it came out as a shudder. He was sitting on top of the bed covers. He brought his knees up and wrapped his arms round them lightly. "I didn't want to do it at first, I swear. I thought that I would take up too much of my work time and social time. Heck, I didn't even know why Anders chose me in the first place…then I met Day. And _something _about him totally changed my mind and I accepted." Jesse let out a smile with a faraway look in his eyes. "Don't remember having so much fun in a while. I could look forward to going home and meeting someone to talk to, even after long shifts; muck around in the kitchen; watch football games with someone else. It was just different and great while it lasted. It was like having a roommate to hang around with again in collage."

"So we heard from the tape," Amanda said, smiling.

Jesse looked round at her with his eyebrows raised. "You heard the tape?" Then he smiled again. "Yeah, some of the things we talked about were funny. You should have heard some of the things that weren't recorded as well. Winding Anders up was usually entertainment." He sat back, putting his arms behind his head. "Then I received phone calls when Day was out on his usual stress relieving time. The guy always said he knew who I was, where I lived and that he'd come and get me. Strange thing was, I didn't feel as scared as I could be. Must have been because I wasn't thinking straight. But that night two weeks ago when they barged into my room, I was scared. Day was out and I did everything I could to get them away from me…but I couldn't."

Amanda leaned forward and put a hand on Jesse's shoulder. "Go on." She tried to urge out as much as she could from Jesse. Ever since that emotion scene the day he woke up in front of them, he had clamed up. He didn't dare speak of what had happened and every time someone did, he recoiled back in fright or fell into a strange silence. Seeing as nothing had happened to Jesse now, Amanda didn't see any problem at the moment. "No one is here but me, Jesse."

Jesse nodded, knowing that. He recounted what happened starting from when it happened, during it and when he was dumped. He talked about what Marcus did to him, remembered practically every single taunt, every hit and what with and how he had felt at the time. He told it all as if Amanda wasn't there and he was speaking to himself. He didn't even address Amanda. And as she spoke, she realized the whole horror of what had gone on in that little room in the storage warehouse. 

Amanda also realized that she was the first person hearing all of this. Jesse had been too scared or shied away whenever someone else tried to get the story out of him. Now she was getting it full and hoped he could repeat it for Steve. When he had finally finished everything he needed to pour out, Jesse was clasping his hands together and fidgeting. Amanda got up and sat at the edge of the bed. "I was scared, Amanda. God, how many times have I said that word? It's the only way to describe it. I've practically run out of things to say."

"You did good, Jess," Amanda said. "No one but you knows what it's like, what you went through back there. But you should feel scared and you should also feel proud that you survived it, despite Day. Steve is out there, trying to catch Lavoy. He's not doing it just because it's his job but because it's you. He's doing it for you because he's your friend and we're all your friends."

Jesse nodded. "Well…I guess I do feel kind of better. I may try and finish some of that lunch." Amanda nodded, saying she had to go before her shift started. "Hey, Amanda, if you see Mark or Steve before me, tell them to get some food down from Barbecue Bobs because I think I'll die if I have to eat any more of this hospital food." Amanda turned round and Jesse smiled at her. This time it was a genuine smile. Amanda laughed and walked off. Shaking his head, Jesse watched her go past the window before he finished as much as he could handle of the lunch then dumped it aside.

He looked around his room for the umpteenth time. Nothing much had changed. All the machines had been taken away a few days ago. Not even the IV stand was there any more. He was working without anything, just staring at the ceiling, trying to make patterns out of the curly waves. Once in a while, he would read but it didn't seem to interest him. Jesse needed something to take his mind of everything for every time he had the chance to think. He didn't want to think—he wanted to do! Thinking ahead, he started to turn himself so he could feet out of bed. He grabbed the sheets tightly and pushed himself off, landing on his feet. For a few seconds, Jesse remained still to be sure he had balance and he wasn't tilting. Then tentatively, he took a step forward, not taking his hands off the sheets. Still, he didn't fall.

Jesse tried another step, more confidently this time and taking his hands off the sheet. As he moved forward again, he stumbled, unable to regain his balance. He started to fall and couldn't bring his foot forward in time to stop it so he toppled over, landing against the chair. He cried out in pain as the seat made contact near his appendix area. Jesse remained like that for a few minutes, breathing deeply to try and get his breath back. It was then that the door burst open and someone came in. "Jess, what are you trying to do?" a familiar voice asked kindly.

"Have something to do," Jesse answered truthfully. He felt Mark haul him to his feet slowly and hold onto him to make sure he didn't fall. Jesse felt stupid, not only of having fallen, but to be caught by Mark as well doing it. He mentally kicked himself but it showed on his face and Mark could see it. "Sorry."

"Jesse," Mark said gently, "you're in no condition to get out of bed yet. You've barely been up four days. Give it time and maybe in a few days or so, you can get back onto your feet. But for now, it's bed." Mark prodded him.

Reluctantly, but with Mark's help, Jesse made it back to his bed. He sat down, swung his legs round and settled down again. Mark could see the frustration on the younger man's face. "I just feel so…so helpless."

Mark smiled. "Now you must know how your patients feel."

Jesse gave him a sardonic look. "I'm not my own patient. I'm Pete's patient. And I'm fed up of _being _a patient. I want to get out and do something, even if it's sitting outside the hospital or walking around it. I know I can't go back to my job yet…I just can't stand staying in this room any longer."

"You know you can't go outside...not yet…not with Marcus still out there. Just sit tight. Maybe, when Amanda finishes her shift, we'll be able to sort something out for you—in a wheelchair though!"

Jesse's face brightened. "Thanks, Mark!"

__

Haley Johnson's House—5.19pm

Lieutenant Steve Sloan had just about finished all the food he brought to eat whilst waiting. There was a small chain of stored not far from Haley Johnson's house, which was enough for him and Anders to get something. They finished a small snack and carried on waiting. Anders was eating slowly. He hadn't felt hungry at all the past two weeks. Behind them, sprawled on the back seats was Steve's friend, Kyle James. He was staring up at the ceiling of the car, not wearing his uniform but his own street clothes. He lay there, simply thinking. Everything that could possibly be done, had been done.

Kyle sat up. "What time is it now?"

Steve glanced at his watch. "Twenty past five." They all groaned and stretched a bit more. "I have the horrible feeling that he's not going to come. We've been outside here for the past few days, no sign of him."

Anders let out a hiss. "He must know we know about him. He's taking his time until he thinks that it's safe. Lavoy is a clever man, he's not going to come in the middle of the day and cause a scene. He'll come at night where it's dark and witnesses 'won't be sure' of things."

Steve sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised in that limo of his." He shifted his frame in the car he was driving, waiting for something to happen. He was beginning to grow impatient now. If anything, Steve would demand to know from someone where Marcus was hiding and barge in that way. Steve had dreamt of doing that and 'accidentally' shooting or even killing Lavoy in the line of self-defense. Whether that would work in court or not he did not know but maybe he could do it for Jesse. In the end, though, Steve knew it was out of the question. He knew that someone like Lavoy would do much better behind bars. If the death sentence came then it was up to the judge. He wished it would happen. Lavoy would get everything he deserved.

"Well," Anders said, adding his pile of rubbish to the already growing one, "at least we know Jesse is better. He's awake and on the rode of recovery, or so your dad says Mark." Anders let out a small sigh. "We'll just have to see if Jesse will testify if and come the time." Steve wondered too.

He decided it wasn't a good idea to tell Anders what happened at the hospital. He had rung his father during a state of boredom and had been told in the conversation that Jesse had tried to get out of bed, only to fall and injure himself. Adding to the fact that he was still not eating much-worried Steve even more. Jesse had obviously been improving but he didn't like the story of him getting out of bed even though he knew in that situation he would do exactly the same thing. 'Poor Jesse,' he thought. 'Must be bored out of his mind.'

"Hold up," Kyle said, crawling onto his stomach and watching as a car slowly passed them. It was a three door black car with tinted windows. Even though it was dusk, they could just about see. "I think we just hit the jackpot."

Steve and Anders watched as several figures got out of the car and walked towards Haley Johnson's house. A larger man also followed who they could only guess was Lavoy. "Show time, Kyle," he said, opening his door slightly. Haley's door opened and they walked in just as Steve, Kyle and Anders got out of their car. Then from the house came a most terrifying piercing scream, enough to knock all three men still.


	13. The Search

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CURIOSITY PART XIII

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Haley Johnson's House—5.40pm

Steve stopped dead as the scream shot through the night. But being a cop, he was used to this kind of thing. He sprang into action before the others did, running up the driveway to go and find Haley Johnson. They had left the door open. Kyle came up to him, his own gun drawn as well. Steve turned to Anders and said, "you wait out here. You're a civilian and I don't want you getting hurt. You got that?"

Anders nodded. "Can I deck him when you catch him though." Without much of an appreciated glance, he opened the door slightly and Kyle followed him. They hoped to creep up quietly and catch them unsuspected. How Steve planned to do this with just two of them, he didn't know. He knew he should have called for back up but by the time he did, Haley Johnson could be dead. There came the sound of crying from another room and someone was talking. Steve crept up slowly and saw the scene. Kyle went to the other side of the door. Both had the machine guns that were being stored in the back of Steve's car. They were not totally outnumbered.

There were around five men in the room, not counting Marcus Lavoy. No one seemed to be watching out for anyone. Haley Johnson was on her knees, crying. All of the men had guns, apart from Lavoy and some of them were pointed at Haley. Steve shared a glance with Kyle and at his nod, they eased their guns inside.

Marcus was shaking his head. "I am so disappointed in you, Haley. It is so hard for me to find someone I can trust these days. You have truly disappointed me by telling everything to the police all for that Doctor. Tell me, what did you _really _do all those times when I wasn't looking with him?" If Haley hadn't been so scared, she would have stood up and slapped Marcus, just like she did with Carlos. But she was too scared to do that now. Marcus looked almost disappointed to not get a reaction from her apart from a few sobs. "Oh, I am getting tired of this Haley. We may as well get it over with now."

One of the men grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back as she cried out again. A gun was aimed at her but before it could be fired, two other shots rang out The men either side of Haley fell to the floor wordlessly, the blood pouring from the back where the bullets entered. The other two men immediately spun round and started shooting, not aiming at all. Kyle and Steve pressed themselves up against the wall. Kyle raised his eyebrows towards Steve and said, "we really need back-up." Steve nodded as Kyle raised a finger and ran out of the house. Steve looked at him id disbelief but took his mind of it when he felt the other two men come towards him. He also started shooting blindly, hoping that one of them fell. It wasn't long before Haley's living room was a mass of bullet holes.

Steve knew he had hit someone when he heard a cry of pain. There didn't seem to be a single sound from Haley or Marcus. But looking down the corridor, he could see Haley running away quickly in fright, towards the back door to escape. He started to move that way to prevent anyone from following her.

As he shot, he saw it hit one of the other men's arms. Just as he was about to do it again, someone tapped him on the shoulder and put a gun towards him. Steve immediately stopped and watched as the metallic weapon made its way towards his forehead. "Now, I suggest you drop that gun on the ground." Steve did so, throwing it out of reach of anyone as he was pushed forward into the living room. Three bodies were spread out on the floor. One man was kneeling, clutching his arm; his face contorted with pain and Marcus Lavoy had calmly stood, watching the proceedings. Looking behind him briefly, Steve saw it was Carlos who had apprehended him.

He was forced into the living room. Marcus looked at him and shook his head. "It's a shame that it had to come to this. Very foolish thing to do, don't you think? Come in by yourself and attempt to do it alone?" Steve didn't say anything. "Well, unfortunately for you, the mission failed and you luck as run out. I have places to go and business to see to so I hope we will not meet again too soon." He nodded at his friend. "Carlos." Marcus walked past them and headed out of the back door where Haley had done.

Next to him, Carlos whispered, "it's a shame we don't have enough time to do what I did to Doctor Travis. At least Marcus Lavoy has given me the privilege of killing you and watching you die." Steve felt the gun barrel press against his head and waited for the inevitable to happen. He closed his eyes. But when the shot did ring out, it wasn't from his gun. He flinched as he felt the bullet whiz past him and not far away, Carlos silently fell to the ground. Steve spun round and saw a very stunned but relieved Kyle James standing in the doorway, still poised as if he was to shoot.

Steve turned back to look at Carlos. He was definitely dead; there was no question about it. He looked appreciatingly at Kyle. "Thanks. Nice shot."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Steve walked over to the other man who was still withering on the ground. His blood was seeping out onto the carpet and even though it was only an arm wounded and he was in a lot of pain, he would live unlike the rest of his friends. Steve grabbed him by his collar and forced him up. "Where has Marcus Lavoy gone? Come on, you must know." When he didn't answer the first time, Steve shook him. "Tell me."

"After Haley!" he stammered.

"Where did Haley go?"

The man shrugged." I d-d-don't know. Marcus wanted t-to kill her. She was getting in the w-way. Maybe she went to the hos-hospital." Steve thought about this for a second. Then, dropping the man, he took Kyle James's arm and dragged him outside.

"The hospital! Of course. She goes there to see Jesse and she's leading everyone into danger." He ran outside where a very impatient Miles Anders was standing. He demanded to know what had happened and Kyle told him the short story whilst Steve started up the car and grabbed his phone at the same time. He tried to ring his father so that he could warn him. He hoped he had his phone with him and that it was switched on. After a few rings, Steve was tempted to ring off when he heard the familiar voice saying: "Mark Sloan."

"Dad! It's Steve. Listen, there's no time for talking. Lavoy came to Haley's house. There was a little battle and Haley managed to get away. So did Lavoy. We think that she's coming to the hospital and that Lavoy is following her. You have to get Jesse out of the room he's in and get him somewhere safe."

"I'm onto it, Steve. No one was hurt, were they?"

"Only the bad guys." After putting down the phone, Steve floored the pedal of the car and it roared off. Beside him, Anders held on for dear life. Even strapped in a safety belt he didn't feel safe. The always cautious Anders was now worried whether he would make it to the hospital only to become a patient himself. He held onto the side of the door and locked it to make sure he didn't fall out. In the back seat, Kyle was grinning with enthusiasm. He liked the speed they were going at and the authority of charging past traffic lights over the speed limit. He only wished he were driving.

They reached Community General Hospital in less than five minutes. Steve parked the car awkwardly and then jumped out with Anders and Kyle following. Mark was already waiting for them in the hospital. "We saw Haley Johnson run in here," he said, "but we couldn't catch her. So far, there's been no sign of Lavoy."

"Good, maybe we got here before them."

"We got Jesse moved. He should be safe."

Norman came up to them in a fit of worries. "It is coming true isn't it. It _is _exactly like the nightmare. Some powerful crime lord is running round the hospital terrorizing it and this will get a bad name. The hospital will have to close and we'll _all _be out of business."

Steve simply glared at him. "What have you done about all this."

Norman tried to get himself settled. "Well, there are security guards all the way around the perimeter of the hospital making sure no one comes in. There are some inside as well. We can't do much until the police get here."

Steve nodded. He got Kyle and told everyone else to stay where they were, against his father's protests. Then he went with Kyle James inside the main part of the hospital so they could start looking. He wanted to find Haley Johnson first and get her into safety so they could concentrate more on Marcus Lavoy. He still clung to the hope that maybe Marcus was not here. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Maybe if he was inside then they could catch him more easily.

"This is a massive hospital," Kyle said. "It would take ages to search."

"Well. How about we try the ICU room Jesse was in. That was where Haley last saw Jesse." Together the two of them went up to the ICU room. Steve wasn't sure whether anyone was going to be there or not. Once again he had mixed feelings as he made his way to the fourth floor. As they rounded the corner of the floor, Steve could swear he heard something. Quietly, he and Kyle looked around and saw a familiar figure walking down away from them. Steve held Kyle back as they watched Marcus Lavoy come out of one of the rooms and then turned round the next corridor. Then he motioned Kyle to follow him. Steve knew from experience that the next corridor was long and practically room-less. But to their surprise, when they got round the corner, there was no one in sight.

Steve sighed in frustration. "Great," he muttered as he turned back to go downstairs again.

On the other side of the hospital, Jesse was in his new room. He had no idea why he had been changed. Neither Mark nor Pete had told him. He had just been told he had to move up a few floors to somewhere different and so he did that. When Pete left, he had been warned not to get up and not to do anything. Not even summon for help unless very necessary. He told Jesse to lock the door and not come back out. That gave Jesse the biggest hint that it had something to do with Marcus Lavoy but before he could find out, he was trapped inside the little brightly-lit room to wait. Sighing in frustration, he lay back on the bed with his arms crossed. He knew he was being stubborn about this. He wanted to do something. He was fed up of being told what do, when to do it or having things done to him.

Knowing he was going against Pete's orders, Jesse braved himself for the worst. He was going to get out of bed and find out what was going on. He swung his legs round and got himself out of the bed. Jesse then counted to ten to make sure he had his balance before taking a few steps. The blood rushed from his head as he did so and for a moment, he thought he was going to topple over. Then, regaining it again, he took another few steps forward towards the door. When he touched the round brass handle, he stopped to catch his breath and make sure his legs weren't going to give out. He opened the door and looked out. It was empty—no nurses, not staff, not even patients wandering aimlessly like lost lambs. Finding this strange, Jesse stepped out and closed the door behind him in pursuit to find out what was going on.

__

Community General Hospital—6.13pm

Steve studied a map of Community General and looked down on it. "I don't see how he got away," he said to himself for the hundredth time. No one else had an answer for it either but he wasn't going to go on and on about it. By now, the police had arrived. Plans were being taken into action. His captain, thinking he was being too generous, allowed Steve to command this operation. One sign of problems and he was out. Steve tapped a pencil on the map layout and then looked at Norman. "No way at all?"

Norman shook his head. "I don't see _how. _All the rooms that could be looked, have—either electronically or by key. All the lifts had been sealed off."

Amanda nodded. "The only way would by via the stairs." She had come back after closing off all the pathology labs under Norman's orders.

"Or the laundry chute," Norman said. Looking at everyone's disapproving glances he said, "there _is _a laundry chute right by the storage cupboard. He could have gone in there to hide."

Kyle shook his head. "He had no idea we were following him."

Norman wiped his brow with a handkerchief. Things were getting too stressful. "I have the security guards watching around the hospital. No one's going either in or out of this place without them knowing. I wish this person would actually come _out. _All rooms have been sealed off for the patients safety—or as much as we can and there are cameras all around the hospital which are being monitored."

"Good, maybe they'll find something."

Mark sighed and looked down at the map. Things were getting hectic now, he knew. This time he had no power over it. They knew who the suspect was and it was up to son to make the right moves. He put his hands into the pockets of his white jacket and looked at his son. They shared a glance, which meant they could only hope for the best. At the moment, their cameras were the only way they could find something properly and quickly. It was the most reliable thing they had. A few minutes later, Pete came rushing in. He looked very much out of breath and they waited for him as he ran up to them and stopped to catch it. When he had finally finished, he said, "I just went upstairs. Jesse's not in his bedroom. I have no idea where he is."

Amanda looked round. "Do you think Marcus found him?"

Pete shrugged. "Either that or he walked off, which I told him not to do."

Steve took his gun out. "That's it, I'm getting fed up of this. I want all you officers to spread out on every floor of this building. Keep a look out for Haley Johnson and Jesse Travis. If you find them, you bring them back here to the lobby. If you see Marcus Lavoy, you do not shoot or confront him. You radio me and tell me where you are. Follow him if necessary but don't shoot." When all the other doctors agreed, they all set off.

Mark grabbed his son's arm. "Steve, please let me come."

Steve looked at his father. "You know I can't do that. I'm not risking you as well. It's bad enough Haley Johnson is somewhere up there and probably Jesse. This time, the police really need to do it, dad, please understand."

Mark sighed and then nodded. "All right, be careful, won't you." His son nodded. "And bring Jesse back in one piece."

"If there's one thing I intend to do right, it's that." With this said, he made his way to the stairs along with everyone else. The rest of them watched after him. Steve made his way to the forth floor. He wanted to find out where Marcus Lavoy had got to. He couldn't have gone very far. With most things sealed off, his only chance was taking the stairs and that would only lead him to another floor. Someone was bound to spot him. No doubt that eventually a camera would catch sight of him and he would be alerted. Steve would only have to wait for that signal. He was angry as well. He was angry at Haley Johnson running and leading Marcus here where she could easily endanger the lives of many patients. There was a countless number of people, either terminally ill, heart problems, new born children which could be at stake. But at the same time, there was worry. Where had Jesse got to? Had Marcus found him or had he been too silly for his own good and gone against his orders.

Steve carried on going up and reached the forth floor. He made his way back to that long corridor again. Only a few of the hospital staff were up here, like the linen and laundry people who had no idea what was going on. After sending them down, Steve got on with his job and reached the long corridor. Just like Norman had said, all the doors were locked. He opened the storage cupboard and looked inside. Marcus Lavoy was certainly not there. He pressed into the laundry chute and wondered whether Norman's silly theory was right and he had gone down it.

Steve found it hard to picture that a crime lord took a fast getaway into a bundle of dirty clothes.

Sighing, he carried on trying to make his way around this and make it all fit in. Most important, he wanted Lavoy. Finding nothing of use, Steve turned round to carry on looking. One way or another they would find him. There was no way Lavoy was getting out this building whilst he was around to make sure of it.

On the sixth floor, two floors above, Jesse had just about finished touring it. There seemed to be absolutely no one around and he found that rather odd. Suddenly, he wondered whether he should have taken Pete's advice and stay in his room. I probably was for his own safety. It obviously had something to do with Marcus Lavoy. A shiver chilled up his spine as he thought of that man coming back to get him. He tried not to think about it. But as he carried on walking, the pain in his right side developed again. All the working around and that energy had taken its toll and it was beginning to become unbearable.

Jesse leaned against the wall of the hospital and waited, catching his breath, wondering if the pain will go away. It was then that he heard a sound. A figure ran out from the cross section and without looking, ran in the opposite direction. He recognized the think blond woman from anywhere. "Haley!" he shouted with as much strength as he could muster.

The woman spun round. Spotting Jesse, her eyes widened and she changed direction coming towards him. "Jesse! Thank goodness you're here, I thought something terrible had happened to you."

Jesse put a hand to her cheek. "Me? Never." He kissed her and then pulled away. "Man, I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

Haley raised her eyebrows. "Oh really?" Then her smile was erased quickly. "Jesse, you can't stay here. I've done something terrible. Marcus came to my house. He was going to kill me had your friend, Steve Sloan not turned up. I got away, because I found out he was coming back to kill you afterwards. And I couldn't let that happen so I came to warn you. But Marcus followed me here, Jess, he's somewhere in the building."

Haley was obviously getting herself into a state. Jesse pulled her in. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's all going to be all right, you'll see. Everything will work out all right one way or another. Steve will help, us won't he?" Haley just shrugged. "What does that mean?"

"That means I'm not sure. Steve was still in the house when I left. I don't know whether I made it out or not."

Jesse looked down, mentally crossing his fingers for good luck. "Don't worry about it. We'll get out of here ourselves if necessary."

Haley looked down at him like a scolding mother. "Jesse, you can't go anywhere. If Marcus finds you he's not going to let you off lightly." There was a genuine concern in her voice. She looked as though she really wanted to make sure Jesse wasn't hurt again. She looked down at him. "What's wrong, Jess? Are you hurt, have you been shot?"

Jesse smiled and looked up even though the pain was killing him. "Nah, I'm fine. It's just this dam appendix thing. I don't think it has quite healed yet." He rubbed it lightly.

Haley took him by the shoulder. "We have to get you out of here and into one of the rooms where you'll be safe. Marcus knows he hasn't got enough time to hunt you down everywhere. You can sit down and be safe from your pains and safe from him." Jesse knew he couldn't argue so he started to move but the searing pain shot in his side. With a small cry of pain he sank back against the wall and sat down on the ground in some way to ease the pain. "Jesse? Jesse, please get up. We have to get you out of here."

Jesse shook his head. "I can't, Haley. It hurts too much." He stopped to take a few breaths then looked up at Haley. "Do we a favor, ok?" Haley nodded. "Go downstairs, find Mark Sloan and tell him I am on the sixth floor, area D okay? Can you do that?" Haley was very reluctant to leave Jesse by himself. He looked as though he was in a lot of pain and anything could happen in the space between now and then. But after a lot of persuasion, Haley agreed to go and bring help. Jesse could obviously not go very far.

She left him against the wall, promising to be back. She ran towards the stairs, hoping that Marcus wouldn't find him. He wouldn't be so nice to Jesse, she knew that for a fact. Haley went faster in an effort to do this thing quickly before too much time elapsed between it. Jut as she reached the stairs though, the door was opened for her and she bumped into someone. Haley stared up in horror into the eyes of Marcus Lavoy.


	14. The Sixth Floor Finale

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CURIOSITY PART XIV

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Still at Community General Hospital—6.42pm

Mark paced the floor of the lobby. He didn't remember seeing the lobby so full. Now that all the staff, doctors and nurses occupied the sleeping room or doctors lounge, the only people in the lobby were the police, himself, Amanda, and Norman. Norman had been doing well to keep everything under control except for the odd mutter about his nightmare coming true. He had been pacing for the past fifteen minutes in frustration. Occasionally, he would run his hands through his white hair but he had no sat down. He understood that there was nothing left to solve. Everyone knew who the 'bad guy' was and now it was just a case of waiting to apprehend him. But Mark wanted to be a part of it even though it was now very much a police matter. Amanda, who had been sitting down on the bench, watched him. Finally, though, she got up and went towards him, stopping him in mid-pace. "Mark, please sit down. You'll end up wearing a hole in the floor."

Mark nodded and sat down next to her. "Don't listen to what the others say," Amanda continued. "Especially Norman."

Mark sighed. "I know, I know. And I'm trying not to. I'm just worried about Steve. I know he's perfectly capable of taking care of himself in a situation like this. It's just that…I can't help worrying, you know? There is _always _a risk when it comes into the line of police work and that's what I've been worrying about ever since he joined the force."

Amanda nodded. "I know there is Mark. And you're right, Steve can handle it. But don't forget, there's a whole hospital and a hell of a lot of other police in the building. There are quite a few odds against Steve that he will be the one to crash into Marcus Lavoy. He'd just be there to arrest him. You'll see that it will be fine." Mark nodded appreciating Amanda's words. "They'll get him soon enough and Steve will be there to see he gets what he deserves."

Pete, who had overheard the conversation, came down to sit next to Amanda. "Tense, huh?"

"You could say that," Mark agreed.

"I suppose it's right to get worried. I'm pretty worried about Jesse." The other two turned to look at him. "Well, he only just woke up a few days ago. He's in no condition to be going anywhere by himself as you saw, Mark, what he tried to do this morning. If he's wandering around up there, he could easily re-open one of his stitches of cause himself a great deal of pain." Mark shook his head, not believing this was happening. "I mean, it should be life threatening," Pete tried to reassure him.

A few minutes later, Norman burst into the room and came up to Mark. "We have to contact Steve. Haley Johnson and Marcus Lavoy have been caught on camera near the area D staircase on the sixth floor." Mark, Amanda and Pete followed them to see on the screen, Haley and Marcus on the sixth floor. She looked as though she was trying to get away. She managed to get away for just a few moments but Lavoy caught her again.

"Steve will never make it in time before he kills her," Mark said. "I'm going to stall him." Despite all the protests, Mark went towards the staircase and stated up as Norman began to ring Steve. By the time Mark reached the sixth floor, he hoped he had enough energy to tackle what was about to come next. He was rather afraid about what he was trying to do. But he pushed open the door and stopped dead at the sight as if he was trying to act surprised. "What do you think you're trying to do."

Lavoy narrowed his eyes and looked over at him. "And who might you be?"

"Mark Sloan."

Marcus Lavoy let out an irritated sigh as he lifted his gun towards Mark. Mark recoiled back. This wasn't the way he planned to do it at all. He could dive back into the stairs and save himself but what good would that do Haley? Just as he was about to shoot, Haley pulled the gun down. The bullets ploughed into the ground until Marcus had shrugged her off. "This is getting quite tiring now. Even if I have to shoot everyone in this hospital, I will complete what I came to do."

"And how do you plan to get out of the hospital?" Mark asked, trying the first thing he could think of. "There are security guards all over the building and outside searching the perimeter. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"You underestimate me, Mr. Sloan," Marcus Lavoy stated, a small amused smile on his face. "When you look around you see there are many of those possibilities. I found one of those possibilities. I will get out easily."

"How? As easily as it was to kill Day Passer?"

Marcus turned back towards Mark Sloan. A brief twitch of surprise crossed his face as his realized how much Mark Sloan actually knew. "Day Passer was too curious for his own good. He was waste, which had to be cleared up for my own benefit. Just like they all have been in the past. I do not understand why so much fuss has been kicked up over one person who led a ridiculously boring life anyway."

"One person on this planet is still worth a lot. And there is a fuss when you kidnap someone whose life is not ridiculously boring and does have friends only to torture. You should pick who would be less of a worry to you, Mr. Lavoy, that way, the don't become a problem in the future."

"Very wise words, Dr Sloan. But they do not reach me." He lifted up his gun again just as he was about to shoot. The elevator doors gave a sudden noise and the door opened.

"Dad!" Steve shouted. Unprepared, he could bring his gun up before Marcus Lavoy swung it round to him and shot. Steve's arm flew back and he clutched the wound on his shoulder, his face twisted with pain. Mark was tempted to go and help him but decided against it. It would only cause more problems. 

"Lieutenant Sloan, I believe this must be your father then?" Lavoy asked. The panic was beginning to set into him. "If you value your father's life, I suggest you take that gun you are holding and throw it into the corridor on your left hand side." Marcus turned back to Mark. "Or else I will shook him carefully between the eyes." Father and son shared a look. Steve, knowing he had no choice brought up his gun…and threw it into the corridor. Mark sighed even though he knew his son had to do it. "Very good. Now could you bring out the rest of the people that are in that elevator."

Mark, surprised that there was anyone else up there. He didn't see anyone else in the lift but when he looked carefully, he could see coming out, were Amanda and Pete. He was tempted to say something and ask them—or even shout at them—what were they doing here? He didn't want to put anyone else's life in danger. Steve was already hurt as it was and Haley was down on the floor in a very vulnerable position. He didn't want to be responsible for hurting or even killing Amanda and Pete. He made Amanda, Pete and Steve stand on the other wise of the little alcove, as far away from Steve's gun as possible.

"It is a shame you have put yourselves into this situation," Lavoy continued. "If you had all stayed put then it would only mean one death. But now I have to be rid of five of you. As you can tell, this does not do good for some the—public knowledge of me." He clicked the gun back. "I suppose some sacrifices are worth making if you plan to stay alive."

"Sacrifice?" Steve demanded, holding his shoulder where it hurt. "You're on the verge of mass murder, Lavoy. Killing over five people is hardly a sacrifice."

Marcus Lavoy laughed. "And what would you propose I do? Give myself in willingly and confess to the crime? Watch all my work fall down the drain?"

"If possible, yes!" Steve cried, knowing he was doing a falling argument.

The smile from Lavoy's face faltered. He walked up to Mark. "If you want your father to stay alive a few more minutes than you, then I suggest you keep your thoughts and insults to yourself." He walked over to Mark. "I gather you are the most favored one. I doubt three doctors and a police officer would come up just for you," he said to Haley. She didn't reply but tried to get up. "I suggest you stay there, Haley. It would do you a lot of good." He looked round at the audience of five people. "I gather none of you would volunteer to go first." No one said anything but kept quiet. "If that is the case, then I suggest you tell me where Jesse Travis is instead."

"Why Jesse?" Amanda asked. "Can't you just leave him alone?"

Marcus smiled almost genuinely at Amanda. "My dear, you must understand that in this game, he who eliminates the opposition becomes the winner of the board game. I still had a few snakes in my board came preventing me from reaching the top. Jesse Travis is one and probably the most important. Now, are you going to tell me where he is or do I have to shoot you all down to the one person." Still, no one said anything. Marcus, in fury, raised his gun and pointed it at Mark's temple. Steve shook his head and tried to barrel through. Only Amanda and Pete were keeping him back. "I will shoot this one first if no one decides to tell me."

Steve looked almost pleadingly at Marcus. Mark shook his head and in his eyes he gave them a warning to not tell them anything. He glanced at Haley, tear eyed, looking up at them both. None of them knew where Jesse was. But from the look in Haley's eyes, something told Mark that she knew exactly where Jesse was. He begged her not to tell. "My patience is beginning to wear out," Marcus began to say. He lifted back the hook of the gun as a warning and pressed it closer to Mark.

"No!" Steve cried, charging forward. Marcus seeing this as a threat, changed positions and aimed the gun at Steve. In the small alcove a shot went off and Steve stopped dead. Almost as if in slow motion, Marcus began to fall to the ground, landing on one knee. Steve came forward and kicked the gun from his hand, sending it spinning across the other end. Everyone gave and evident sigh of relief and Mark lost all his tension. Pete and Amanda nearly collapsed into each other. "Jesse? Why did…" Steve asked in disbelief. Everyone turned round.

Jesse was leaning against the doorway, his right side pressed against the wall for support. He held the gun in his right hand whilst his left was clutching his side. "You don't think I was gonna let you die, was I?"

Steve smiled. "But how?"

Jesse gave a small wicked grin. "You shouldn't leave your guns lying around the corridor, Steve. Anyone could pick it up." He tensed as a spasm of pain jolted through his body from his appendix area. The gun dropped from his hand and he clutched his side tighter.

"You're hurt," Pete said coming forward with Amanda. "You shouldn't have come out of your room, Jesse."

"If I hadn't, you would all be dead by now," Jesse managed to say. He took in a ragged breath and then his body relaxed. With a sigh, he slowly began to fall forwards, his eyes already closed before he had started.

"Jesse!" Amanda cried, reaching out to catch him before he fell. Pete immediately took care of him as Mark and Steve walked towards each other.

"I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life," Steve admitted, putting a hand on his dad's shoulder. He let out a shuddered breath. He could tell by the shaken look on his father's face that he agreed with him as well. Steve knelt down to take Marcus Lavoy in. He was very much alive, only shot in the leg so he had not got away that easily. He cried out in pain as Steve dragged him to his feet. Steve nodded to his father over to where Pete was treating Jesse. "I think we owe him one again."

Mark nodded. "Yes, he said he wanted food from Barbecue Bobs and not the hospital." Steve smiled back.

__

Sloan's Beach House—1.34pm

It was two days later that Jesse was walking around again. During his remaining two-day recovery, he stayed in the hospital and then Mark insisted he stay in his house beside the beach. Jesse spent still boring days but at least he was able to sit around and not be in bed all day. He lounged around and watched the TV, read a few articles but it still did not keep him interested. He longed to go back to work and become a doctor again. After the two weeks of hell he had been involved in, the thing he wanted to do most was get back to normal. 

After the two days, he got a phone call. He left it, as he always did in case if was for Mark or Steve. He was told not to act as an answering service as it mean too much getting up and down so he let it run and waited to see who would speak. What he heard was most unexpected.

"Hey, Jesse, how are you doing? It's Anders here. Just thought I might do a little check up on you and make sure you're all right, you know. If you're not in the house then you must be out on the beach somewhere so give me a call when—"

Jesse got up as quickly as he could without hurting and reached for the phone. "Hey, Anders," he said casually.

"Hey, kid, obviously you weren't on the beach. How are you feeling?"

"Well, definitely better." He paused. 

"Things have been running wild here, Jess. You're a regular hero at the moment. Have you any idea how much the police here in California are grateful to you?"

"Stop with the flattering or else I'll get big headed."

"Okay, okay but you'll wish I'll flatter you more because there is always bad news where there is good." Jesse sighed inwardly, wondering what it could be. "Marcus Lavoy has to have a trial obviously, even though he doesn't deserve it. There will be many witnesses, one of them being Haley and myself. But you will be the key witness—or should I say _star _witness. You're are practically the only person who can stick this case together and we'd need you up on that stand."

Jesse paused, not knowing what to say. "Oh."

Anders gave a small hum. "I know it's hard kid. No one wants to go through this. Trials aren't exactly the best thing for anyone. But you want Lavoy put away as much as I do, don't you…?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you have to testify. I'll be behind you every step of the way and you got some great friends there at the hospital who have helped you through everything. You'll definitely make it through. So, what do you say?"


	15. The Decision

****

CURIOSITY PART XV—EPILOGUE

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Sloan's Beach House—8.43pm

There were quite a few people crowded round the table in Mark Sloan's house—Mark, Steve, Amanda, Jesse, Norman and Pete. Anders had failed to make it. He had announced his promotion to the others. He was now head of the witness protection program and had taken over what was once Ben Holmes position. Unfortunately, though, that meant more work for him and been though he was up for it, he did regret that it did involve missing some other important things such as this. They were happy for him, though. Other good things that Steve announced was his putting in of a good word to the captain had promoted Kyle James to the rank of Detective. The young man was so thrilled with his status that he drove Steve nuts for an hour around his office.

Jesse sat back towards the end of the meal. "Man, I'd die if I ate any more," he said and hastily added with a smile, "not that you're cooking is bad, Steve."

"I was hoping you weren't insulting it," Steve commented but was also smiling back. He, like many others, was glad that Jesse was back to normal. He had been joking the past few days and driving almost every one round the bend with the comments he had made. Even though everyone tried to act as they previously did when Jesse was in his mood, they were secretly glad he was doing it. 

"Well, I'm just glad everything _is _back to normal," Norman admitted, nodding his head frantically. "I swear, I should have got my name engraved on a stone for my death when the hospital was overrun by all those policemen."

"Was the hospital surrounded by police part of your nightmare?" Amanda asked, pointed a fork in his direction. Jesse smirked.

Norman looked at her sardonically, without a smile on his face. But it changed into one of absolute seriousness. "But…" he paused dramatically. "It was a lot like my nightmare." When everyone threw down their forks, he continued. "No, it's the truth. There was some evil power behind all of it—Marcus Lavoy. And I was about to lose all my staff due to that maniac and the hospital would have closed. We would have been shut down for the lack of safety." Steve rolled his eyes along with Amanda. Mark simply laughed.

"I thought Steve told you to take sleeping pills," Pete said out loud, putting his wineglass down.

"So much good that did me."

"Have your nightmares stopped then?"

"I am very pleased to say that they gave."

Steve sighed. "Good. Maybe the rest of us can sleep then."

They finished their meal with the rest of the conversations that they had left to talk about. Norman tended to participate the least. He felt as though he had been truly dumped on his nightmare. It had scared him and it had scared him even more when certain events started coming true. Slightly grumpy, he carried on in silence.

But the silence of everyone was broken by Steve saying, "So, Jesse, you've decided to go and testify against Lavoy, huh?" Once again the silence descended on the table. Jesse sat back in his chair. He had no reason to be uncomfortable and he had no reason to be ashamed either. There was just a feeling that he was being put on the spot again. It was as though it was the right thing to do and he was being pressured.

"Well, I guess I have to, don't I. I mean, I don't exactly have much of a choice. I'd only let everyone down if I didn't."

Amanda shook her head. "That's not true, Jesse. I know it sounds as though we're forcing you to do it. Going through a trial is no easy thing, as you very well know. But at least you come out at the end knowing that you've done something and at least in this case you will. Marcus Lavoy cannot possibly get out of this in any way and it will make you feel better that he's finally gone away." Jesse nodded seeing the sense in Amanda's words.

"Well, I'm doing it, aren't I?" Jesse cried out loudly and everyone shouted in agreement.

Mark lifted up his glass. "I think we need a toast."

"To what?" Jesse asked.

Mark thought and shrugged. "I can't think of anything just yet. You think about it then we chink."

Jesse picked up his glass and wondered who or what he should toast to. He wondered, by the ready look in everyone else's eyes, what they could possibly have thought of. As he raised his glasses with all the others ones, he didn't care who they were thinking of. He had his own idea. As when his glass joined with all the other filled ones, he thought _To Day Passer._

The end!! (Bet you're thinking 'finally')

………But is it really the true end? Do you think is deserves a sequel?


End file.
